India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah will miss the upcoming two-Test series in Sri Lanka after the BCCI medical team advised him to take more time to recover from a left knee issue, according to reports.

Bumrah will not travel with the squad for the series, which begins on August 15 in Galle, as India look to avoid rushing the premier pacer back into action. The BCCI has not named a replacement for the 31-year-old yet.

Bumrah has not bowled since the second ODI against England in Cardiff on July 16. He was ruled out of the final match of the series at Lord’s after suffering an impact injury while fielding, with the BCCI saying the issue was the reason behind his absence.

The fast bowler received an injection for his knee after the England series as part of a recovery plan prepared by the BCCI medical team. He later travelled to the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, where he underwent fitness tests.

It is understood that the medical team felt Bumrah could risk a longer layoff if he returned to bowling immediately, with concerns that the problem could worsen.

The exact details of Bumrah’s injury have not been revealed, but the fast bowler has been closely monitored since returning from a long injury layoff last year. He had also visited the Centre of Excellence in March for conditioning and fitness clearance before the Indian Premier League.

Bumrah featured in 13 matches for Mumbai Indians during the IPL season, missing only their final fixture. His workload has been carefully managed due to his history of injury concerns.

India’s bowling attack has already taken several hits ahead of the Sri Lanka tour. Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy are sidelined with hamstring and quadriceps injuries respectively, while Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the first Test because of a hamstring problem.

Fast bowler Akash Deep is also unavailable as he continues his recovery from stress reactions in his back.

India captain Shubman Gill had raised concerns about the team’s growing injury problems after their ODI series defeat in England, saying frequent player absences could become a major issue.

“If after every match some player is missing then somewhere we are missing a trick,” Gill said.

The captain warned that repeated fitness problems could affect India’s preparations for the 2027 World Cup, where teams will need to handle a demanding schedule.

“If a player is only 80% fit and you are playing with five bowlers, then if that player comes out after bowling five overs, who will bowl? This is difficult,” Gill said.

India will play a three-day practice match in Colombo from August 7 before beginning the Test series against Sri Lanka. The second Test will be played at the SSC in Colombo from August 23.

The tour marks India’s first Test assignment in the new World Test Championship cycle following their 2-0 home defeat by South Africa in November.

Before that loss, India drew a five-match Test series in England 2-2 and defeated West Indies 2-0 at home. They are currently fifth in the World Test Championship standings, while Sri Lanka sit sixth.

India squad for Sri Lanka Tests

Shubman Gill (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), B Sai Sudharsan (subject to fitness clearance), Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal and Saransh Jain.