Jasprit Bumrah will play no part in India’s upcoming three-match ODI series against England after the BCCI quietly removed him from the 16-member squad. When the India speedster Jasprit Bumrah went down with back spasms during the Sydney Test against Australia, the suspense around his fitness continued to grow over time. However, the fact that Jasprit Bumrah was named in India’s squad for the three ODIs and the Champions Trophy that followed raised hopes of a speedy recovery.
When the squad was announced, chief selector Ajit Agarkar had said the management expected Jasprit Bumrah to be fit for the third and final ODI against England. But on Tuesday evening, while the BCCI sent out a release officially informing of Varun Chakravarthy’s addition to the squad, it did not mention Jasprit Bumrah.
Jasprit Bumrah’s availability for India in Champions Trophy 2025 remains the question as Varun Chakravarthy has taken his place in ODI series vs England
The anticipation surrounding India’s squad for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy has been marred by one notable absence. Jasprit Bumrah, India’s premier fast bowler, was initially included in both the India squad for the England ODI series and the Champions Trophy. However, the recent update of the ODI squad has stirred uncertainty, especially with Bumrah’s name conspicuously missing from the lineup. While the BCCI has not officially confirmed his exclusion, speculations are rife about his fitness and participation in the upcoming mega tournament.
Jasprit Bumrah’s recent injury, a back issue sustained during the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney, has been the main source of concern. During the Test match, Bumrah was forced to leave the field after experiencing severe back spasms, prompting the BCCI medical team to conduct scans. This injury, though initially expected to be a minor setback, has proven to be more serious than anticipated, and as a result, Bumrah has been receiving treatment at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.
The back injury’s full extent remained unclear for some time, leading to doubts about Bumrah’s readiness for the Champions Trophy. As the BCCI’s medical team continued to assess his condition, the Board opted to rest Bumrah from the first two ODIs against England. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar had earlier mentioned that the fast bowler would need five weeks off to recover, but with the Champions Trophy fast approaching, the question remains whether Jasprit Bumrah can regain full fitness in time.
The board has yet to provide an official update regarding Bumrah’s injury or his absence from the squad for the ODIs against England. Still, that his name has gone missing at this point in time raises eyebrows and remains a cause of concern, considering the Champions Trophy is just two weeks away.
According to a Times of India report, Bumrah has already reached the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and will stay in Bengaluru for a few days. He will only make a comeback once he gets the clearance from the physios at the NCA.
Jasprit Bumrah was named in India’s 15-member squad for the three ODIs and the Champions Trophy with an asterisk against his name, implying his inclusion is subject to fitness. When the squad was announced, chief selector Ajit Agarkar and management were hopeful that Bumrah would be fit for the third and final ODI against England.
However, on Tuesday evening, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) silently removed Bumrah’s name from the India’s squad for the three-match ODI series against England, which starts on Thursday. The decision raises doubts over Bumrah’s status and the suspense around the pacer’s fitness continues to grow with just about two weeks left for the 2025 Champions Trophy to start.
Former head coach Ravi Shastri has warned India against rushing ‘unfit’ Jasprit Bumrah back for the 2025 Champions Trophy. The 31-year-old suffered back spasms in the Sydney Test against Australia in January, and hasn’t played for India since.
Ex-Team India coach Ravi Shastri warns against risking Jasprit Bumrah for Champions Trophy 2025
Former Team India coach Ravi Shastri has strongly advised against rushing Jasprit Bumrah back for the ICC Champions Trophy, given his current injury status. Shastri feels the right-arm speedster is too precious an asset to be risked and asking him to deliver his A-game right after recovering from the injury.
The 31-year-old is currently nursing a back injury that came on the back of a heavy workload during the away Test series against Australia. He was unable to bowl during the final day of the series as a back spasm ruled him out and is likely to miss the upcoming ODI series as well. Although the selectors have named the ace bowler in India’s Champions Trophy squad, fitness remains a concern.
Speaking on the latest episode of the ICC Review, the 62-year-old reckons India have a big year ahead of them. However, Shastri also warned that the Men in Blue’s chances of winning the Champions Trophy will dip significantly if Bumrah ceases to play.
“I think it’s high risk. There’s too much big cricket coming up for India. And at this stage of his career, I think he’s too precious to be just called on for one game out of the blue and asked to deliver. The expectations will be so much. They’ll think that he’ll come in straight away and set the world on fire.
It’s never that easy when you come back from injury. Bumrah not fit will reduce India’s chances [of winning the Champions Trophy] by 30%, literally by 30-35%. With a fully fit Bumrah playing, you are guaranteed of those death overs,” Shastri said.
Jasprit Bumrah was one of India’s best bowlers during the 2023 World Cup that took place at home, picking up 20 scalps in 11 matches. The final of the tournament was also the last time the Ahmedabad-born cricketer played an ODI.
Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting suggested that the right-arm pacer can play in the Champions Trophy if Mohammed Shami remains fit, given they can complement one another. Ponting stated:
“My biggest concern about India when they came for Australia in the Test series was Bumrah not having Shami there as a backup and him having to burden most of the load. And that’s probably what happened, and might even have something to do with why he got hurt. He probably ended up having to bowl a bit more in that series with Shami not being there. So look, if Shami’s fit, that’s a positive.”
Team India will kickstart their Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh on February 20 in Dubai before which they will play three match ODI series vs England starting 6th Feb 2025.