In a big blow to India, ace fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 starting February 19. Jasprit Bumrah, who sustained a back injury during the final Test against Australia in Sydney last month, has failed to attain full fitness and is replaced in the squad by Harshit Rana. This will be the second time in the last five years that Jasprit Bumrah has missed a big ICC tournament due to injury, with the previous instance being the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.
In a shocking turn of events, India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has been left out of the squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 despite being medically cleared by the National Cricket Academy (NCA). The decision, taken by chief selector Ajit Agarkar and his panel, has sparked widespread debate, with fans and experts questioning whether the move was too cautious or a necessary precaution.
Jasprit Bumrah’s Medical Clearance: What Went Wrong?
The NCA, which oversees the rehabilitation of injured players, had reportedly given Bumrah a clean bill of health, declaring him “medically fit.” However, match fitness—an entirely different benchmark—was where the concerns lay. According to reports, Jasprit Bumrah had not yet bowled at full intensity in a competitive environment, raising doubts about his ability to endure the rigors of a high-stakes tournament like the Champions Trophy 2025.
A top BCCI source revealed to PTI, “Bumrah’s scan reports were clear, and he had completed his rehabilitation. However, the NCA left the final decision to the selectors, as he had not yet been tested in a match situation.”
The development is a major setback for India going into the Champions Trophy, which they have won twice in 2002 and 2013. Jasprit Bumrah’s performances across formats since returning from his previous lengthy absence from back injury led to him being widely accepted as the best bowler in the world across formats. The 31-year-old was player of the tournament in India’s successful 2024 T20 World Cup campaign, taking 15 wickets at a ridiculous average of 8.26
Jasprit Bumrah then practically carried the Indian attack throughout the five-match Test series in Australia, which the visitors lost 3-1. While the rest of India’s bowlers left much to be desired, Jasprit Bumrah’s performance had been rated at various points as one of the greatest individual performances by a player in a Test series in Australia. The 31-year-old finished with 32 wickets in nine innings at an incredible average of 13.06.
India’s reliance on Jasprit Bumrah resulted in him bowling lengthy spells during the tour. He was even seen wearily asking captain Rohit Sharma not to hand the old ball to him in Melbourne during the fourth Test. The workload finally seemed to have taken a toll during Day 2 of the fifth Test when Jasprit Bumrah, who was captain for the match with Rohit sitting out, walked off the field in Sydney and was eventually spotted leaving the stadium altogether for scans. He could not bowl in the Indian second innings.
Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar had said in January, while announcing the squad for the ongoing ODI series against England and the Champions Trophy, that he was hoping that Bumrah gets fit enough to play the last match of the former.
“With Bumrah, we are waiting to hear about his fitness and when he’s likely to be available,” Agarkar had said in the press conference in Mumbai with Rohit beside him. ”
At the moment I don’t think he is likely to be fit for the first couple of games at least from what we gather. We will probably hear more in the next week or so about his fitness.”
Jasprit Bumrah’s unique action has been a weapon for him. However, it has also regularly put a strain on his back over the course of his career. In September 2019, Bumrah was diagnosed with a “minor stress fracture in his lower back” and was sidelined for about three months. In 2022, he was forced to sit out the Asia Cup in August and September before missing the T20 World Cup that year.
On this occasion, he was forced to undergo surgery and a lengthy recovery period followed in which he missed 10 months worth of cricket action before returning as captain in India’s three-match T20I series in Ireland in July 2023.
Bumrah’s replacement is Harshit Rana, who made his ODI debut during the ongoing England series. The ICC had set February 11 as the deadline for all participating teams to submit their final squads of 15 for the Champions Trophy. Any subsequent changes to the squad will need approval from the tournament’s technical committee.
When the BCCI announced the provisional squad for the Champions Trophy and the England series in January, Rana was named as Jasprit Bumrah’s back-up for the England ODIs. Rana made his ODI debut in the first game of the England series in Nagpur, sharing the new ball with Mohammed Shami. Rana started impressively, but Phil Salt then thrashed him for 26 runs in his third over. But the seamer from Delhi bounced back, picking three wickets to transfer the pressure back on England, which played a key role in India’s win.
Eyebrows were raised after the selection panel, led by Ajit Agarkar, in coordination with the Indian team think-tank comprising head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma, had picked Rana ahead of the other contenders, including Mohammed Siraj, for the England series.
Siraj has been India’s third-most senior bowler after Bumrah and Shami and was also part of their dominant run in the 2023 World Cup. However, in January’s media briefing while announcing the provisional squad for the Champions Trophy and the England series, Rohit explained that Siraj’s “effectiveness comes down a little” if he was not “going to take the new ball”.
Rohit had also said that with a question mark over Bumrah’s fitness, the decision makers collectively had confidence in Shami controlling the front-end of the innings and left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh capable of handling the death overs.
Varun Chakravarthy replaces Jaiswal in Champions Trophy 2025 squad
The BCCI has named Varun Chakravarthy as a replacement for Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had made the cut in the provisional squad. Jaiswal, along with Siraj and Shivam Dube, will be the non-travelling reserves.
Last week, Rohit had strongly hinted at Varun’s inclusion in the squad, saying that the spinner “clearly had something different about him”. Varun has taken 31 wickets at 11.25 since his comeback into India’s T20I squad, and on Sunday, he made his ODI debut as well, taking 1 for 54 in Cuttack.
India’s updated squad for Champions Trophy: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), 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 Chakravarthy
While the Champions Trophy is off the table, the BCCI is expected to monitor Bumrah’s recovery closely with an eye on the T20 World Cup later this year. The premier fast bowler remains a critical part of India’s long-term plans, and the management will ensure he returns only when fully match-ready.
For now, India’s pace attack will have to navigate the Champions Trophy without its most lethal weapon. Whether Agarkar’s bold call pays off remains to be seen, but one thing is certain—this decision will be scrutinized heavily in the coming weeks.