India vs South Africa 3rd T20I: Is Jasprit Bumrah ruled out of the series?

With the series 1-1, India were dealt a huge blow ahead of the third T20I against South Africa in Dharamsala. Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah became unavailable for selection after a personal emergency that has forced him to fly back home. The BCCI issued an official statement regarding the same but haven't divulged further reasons behind Bumrah's exit from the squad.

While there is optimism around Bumrah rejoining the squad, he is likely to miss the next T20I that is scheduled to be held in Lucknow on Wednesday (December 17). There is only a one-day break after that fixture with the fifth T20I slated to be held in Ahmedabad on Friday (December 19).

Until we get more clarity on the nature of the issue that has forced Bumrah's departure, it wouldn't be possible to put a finger on the exact timeline of his return. However, as this isn't an injury to the player himself, there should be an update expected within the next 24-48 hours.

If the extent of the personal issue is beyond serious, Bumrah could well be out of the remainder of this series. There could also be another factor at play here - India's form in this series. Should the home side win in Dharamsala, it could give Bumrah some buffer, especially if the scenario isn't extremely critical.

Then, if India do wrap up the series in Lucknow, the 32-year-old is unlikely to play the Ahmedabad T20I as there wouldn't any context to it in terms of this series. All this, however, is conjecture at this point and further updates are awaited on Bumrah's return.