India captain Rohit Sharma cannot wait to welcome a fit-again Jasprit Bumrah back into the side before the 50-overs home World Cup, but is unsure whether he will have recovered from injury fast enough to be included in next month's tour of Ireland.
Pace spearhead Bumrah, who has not played international cricket since last September, is in the final stage of his rehabilitation after undergoing back surgery in New Zealand in March.
India are in the West Indies where they will play eight limited-overs matches before heading to Ireland to play three T20 internationals there.
"His experience is crucial for the team," Rohit told reporters in Barbados ahead of the first one-day international against the West Indies on Thursday.
"He's back from a serious injury. I'm nor sure if he'd travel to Ireland, because the team has not been selected yet.
"We'll try to make sure he gets to play enough matches before the World Cup." The Asia Cup in August-September is a more realistic target for Bumrah to return to international cricket and the subsequent home series against Australia should be enough to get him in prime form, hoped Rohit.
"When you return from a big injury, you lack match fitness," he said.
"If he plays some matches, it would be good for him and the team. We need to finalise his comeback plans.
"All depends on how much he has recovered. We are quite positive at the moment." India have released pacer Mohammed Siraj from the ODI squad hours before the start of the first match.
"The right-arm pacer has a sore ankle and as a precautionary measure has been advised rest by the BCCI medical team," the Board of Control for Cricket in India said in a statement.
