Jasprit Bumrah has been out of action with a back injury since last month but was named in India’s provisional squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 gets underway in less than a couple of week’s time and Team India are still fretting over the fitness of one man – Jasprit Bumrah. The Mumbai Indians pacer has been out of action since the fifth and final Test against Australia in Sydney last month with a back injury.
The final deadline for all the teams to announce their team is on February 11 or Tuesday this week. Rohit Sharma’s side will make a final decision on Jasprit Bumrah’s participation in the Champions Trophy by February 11, as uncertainty remains over his fitness, according to a report in ESPNCricinfo website.
The report state that Bumrah recently underwent a back scan at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The BCCI’s medical team will now collaborate with the selectors and team management before reaching a verdict.
🚨 UPDATE ON JASPRIT BUMRAH. 🚨
– India will take a decision on Bumrah’s availability for the Champions Trophy tomorrow. (Espncricinfo). pic.twitter.com/U5dS6sKtdl
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) February 10, 2025
Bumrah was named in India’s provisional 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy on January 18 but has not featured in the ongoing three-match ODI series against England — India’s final assignment before the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 begins on February 19. While there were hopes he could return for the third ODI in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, he has instead traveled to Bengaluru for further assessment.
In January, chief selector Ajit Agarkar had stated that based on medical updates at the time, Bumrah was ‘unlikely to be fit for the first couple of games’ of the England ODI series. He was advised to refrain from bowling for five weeks before undergoing fresh scans in early February.
Bumrah has not played since the Sydney Test in early January, where he was unable to bowl in Australia’s second innings. Reports suggest he suffered a stress reaction in his back, requiring five weeks of rest.
If India determines that Bumrah will not recover in time for the Champions Trophy, they may replace him with Harshit Rana, who featured in the first two ODIs against England. However, if there is a possibility of his return later in the tournament, India could retain him in the squad and seek a replacement later, subject to ICC approval. After February 11, any changes will require clearance from the tournament’s technical committee.
India is placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, Bangladesh, and New Zealand. All of their matches will be played in Dubai after the Indian government denied permission to travel to Pakistan, the official host of the tournament. They begin their campaign against Bangladesh on February 20, followed by fixtures against Pakistan on February 23 and New Zealand on March 2.
The all-important India vs Pakistan clash is set to take place in Dubai on February 23. The 31-year-old pacer has claimed 149 wickets in 89 ODI matches till date at an average of 23.55.
