Bumrah replaces Shami in T20 squad

Gujarat and Mumbai Indians pacer Jasprit Bumrah has earned his maiden India call-up after being named as the injured Mohammed Shami's replacement for the three T20Is in Australia.

Bumrah, 22, will leave for Australia on January 22 along with other T20I squad members - Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Ashish Nehra, Suresh Raina and Hardik Pandya.

With 14 scalps in nine matches, Bumrah is the joint-highest wicket taker for defending champions Gujarat in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the domestic T20 competition.

Bumrah, who has been a regular India A player over the last two seasons, also impressed during Gujarat's victorious Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign in December, where he picked up 21 scalps in nine matches, including that of MS Dhoni with a yorker. He finished the tournament as the highest wicket-taker.

When Bumrah first burst on to the scene, in the 2013 IPL, it was feared that he was a one-dimensional bowler, who bowled from wide on the crease and just sent the ball in with the angle. However, he showed during the Vijay Hazare Trophy that he had added to his arsenal the delivery that held its line if not moved away from the right-hand batsman.

RP Singh, who played for Gujarat this season, said after the Vijay Hazare final that Bumrah was ready to play for India. RP said it was his unorthodox action that made him seem quicker than he was, and that the straighter delivery now made him more dangerous.

"He has got a bit of pace. He has got a superb yorker, he got even MS out with a yorker," said RP. "The other thing is that his action gives him a bit of an advantage, it takes people a little bit of time to pick him."

Bumrah has so far picked up 52 wickets in 47 T20 fixtures since making his debut in 2013. He has also played 18 first-class matches and 20 List A fixtures over the last three seasons.

Shami, who returned from Australia last week after picking up a Grade II hamstring injury which could keep him out for four to six weeks, will continue with his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore.