India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the Champions Trophy because of a lower back injury.
Bumrah, 31, suffered back spasms during the fifth and final Test in Australia last month and will not be fit in time for the tournament.
According to a report by PTI, the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru had left the final decision to the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee, despite declaring Bumrah medically fit. However, doubts remain over whether he was match-fit for a high-stakes tournament like the Champions Trophy.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took to X to share a press release and confirmed the development.
Harshit and Varun have their cards in hands to play in since Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out
Harshit Rana has been named as Bumrah’s replacement in India’s 15-man squad ahead of the other contenders, including Mohammed Siraj, for the England series.
The 23-year-old made his one-day international debut for India against England on 6 February and has taken four wickets in two ODIs against Jos Buttler’s side.
India have also added leg-spinner Varun Chakaravarthy to their squad at the expense of opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal. Chakravarthy, 33, became India’s second-oldest one-day debutant when he featured in the second ODI against England in Cuttack on 9 February.
India will be captained by Rohit Sharma and include many of their established players in the squad including Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant and Mohammed Shami.
It is very likely that considering the nature of pitches in Dubai, which could assist the spinners, Chakravarthy was named in the squad. However, the recently concluded International League T20 (ILT20) which was played in UAE, favoured pacers more than the spinners. Hence, India’s move to bring a spin-heavy squad could backfire as well.
Also Read: A Journey Through Time: Past Winners of the ICC Champions Trophy
What’s Next for Jasprit Bumrah?
This is the second ICC tournament Bumrah will miss due to injury. He sat out the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia due to a back injury, eventually forcing him to have surgery.
He missed the 2022 Asia Cup too, held in the UAE, due to a back injury sustained during India’s ODI series against England. His absence weakened India’s bowling attack, leading to early elimination.Star Indian fast bowler has 149 wickets to his name in 89 ODIs played so far,With him ruled out, the BCCI will closely monitor his recovery timeline, as he remains a crucial part of India’s T20 World Cup and Test Championship campaigns later this year.
India’s updated squad as Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out:
Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.
The ICC had set February 11 as the deadline for teams to submit their final squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy. Any changes after this date require approval from the tournament’s technical committee.
Non-travelling reserves: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj and Shivam Dube. The three players will travel to Dubai as and when required.
