Jasprit Bumrah ruled out of ICC Champions Trophy 2025; Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy added in squad!
The senior men’s team selection committee has named Harshit Rana as Bumrah’s replacement for the mega event starting February 19 in Pakistan….
Injured Bumrah ruled out
India’s leading fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, has been officially ruled out of the forthcoming ICC Champions Trophy due to a lower back injury, as announced by the BCCI on Tuesday, February 11, 2025. This decision has clarified any uncertainties regarding his participation in the prestigious tournament. The senior men’s team selection committee has appointed Harshit Rana as Bumrah’s replacement for the event, which is set to commence on February 19 in Pakistan. India will begin their campaign against Bangladesh in Dubai on February 20. Additionally, the selectors have included Varun Chakaravarthy in the squad, replacing batter Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was initially part of the provisional roster. All of India’s matches in the tournament will take place in Dubai under a hybrid model agreement.
Bumrah, who previously underwent lower back surgery in 2022, suffered another stress-related injury while bowling in the final Test against Australia in Sydney, where he withdrew after delivering 10 overs in the first innings.
“Bumrah was advised to rest for five weeks, during which he underwent rehabilitation at the NCA under the supervision of strength and conditioning trainer Rajnikanth and physiotherapist Thulasi. The report from NCA head Nitin Patel indicates that while he has completed his rehabilitation and the scan results appear satisfactory, it remains uncertain whether he will be fit to bowl by the time the tournament begins. Consequently, the selectors opted not to take any risks,” a senior BCCI source informed PTI on the condition of anonymity.
“Nitin left the decision to Ajit (chief selector Agarkar), and understandably, no one wants to take the risk of including an unfit player in the squad. If the medical team does not provide full clearance, how can the selection committee justify that risk?” the official stated.
During a meeting in Ahmedabad involving chief selector Agarkar, head coach Gautam Gambhir, and captain Rohit Sharma, the group discussed the possibility of taking an unfit Bumrah to the Champions Trophy versus opting for the less experienced Rana.
The situation is quite critical, and it would have been utterly humiliating had Bumrah sustained an injury during a match. The National Cricket Academy, under the leadership of Nitin Patel, had previously faced significant repercussions in 2022 when they opted to push Bumrah for the bilateral series against Australia prior to the T20 World Cup, resulting in a year-long absence due to injury.
This decision was made during Chetan Sharma’s tenure, and Agarkar was understandably hesitant to take any risks.
It has been reported that a primary concern was Bumrah’s inability to bowl at full capacity, with experts indicating that achieving match fitness in such a limited timeframe is exceedingly challenging. It is suggested that he may return to play for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL and subsequently lead the Indian team in England, especially since Rohit Sharma is unlikely to be selected for Test matches again.
In a related decision, the selection committee included a fifth spinner, Varun Chakravarthy, in the squad, who was also added for the England series. Unfortunately, young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has become the casualty in this scenario, as he is unlikely to secure a position in the playing XI alongside Rohit and Shubman Gill, who are set to open the innings.
Jaiswal is among the non-traveling reserves, along with Shivam Dube (a direct replacement for Hardik Pandya) and Mohammed Siraj (a direct replacement for Mohammed Shami). Chakravarthy, who has excelled in T20 internationals, made his ODI debut in Cuttack, having been selected based on his T20 performance, and he is a favored player of head coach Gambhir.
Two selections in this Champions Trophy squad were influenced by Gambhir’s recommendations—Rana and Chakravarthy—both of whom coincidentally play for the IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders.
Team
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.
