Former India fast bowler Atul Wassan does not see young Harshit Rana as Jasprit Bumrah's replacement if the latter gets ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Wassan feels Bumrah and Mohammed Shami bowling in tandem will make India favourites but even if the pace-bowling spearhead isn't there, India still have a chance based on current form.
“Look, Bumrah has done more work than he was expected to do in Australia. If Bumrah is not there, it’s Shami, so I think we are covered. If Bumrah comes, it’s a lottery. If Bumrah and Shami both come, we are certainly the favourites to win the tournament. Rohit is in form, Virat is due, so I think our team is good. But even without Bumrah, I think we are still okay," Wassan told CricketNext.
Wassan says Siraj over Rana
If Bumrah does not make it to Champions Trophy 2025 due to a back injury he sustained in the last Test of Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, Wassan wants selectors to recall Mohammed Siraj instead of in-form Rana and Varun Chakravarthy.
“Look, there are matches in Dubai. In the UAE, the conditions are slow, and sometimes there’s dew at night as well. So, you need experienced players. Nowadays, it’s not like, unless the total wicket is green or completely empty, then you think about it. When there are neutral pitches, then you go with the best you have. There are a lot of factors in cricket. It’s not black and white. So, I think the players who have played 50-60 matches for India, who have undergone the pressure, it’s better to play them rather than getting excited and playing a new guy," Wassan said.
“So, if we are talking about Siraj and Harshit, I will play Siraj. Because he is a proven entity, he has done it. I won’t waste his experience. I will play the one who has played 100 matches. Because in such a big pressure encounter, even if a new player is bowling well, he can be switched," added the 56-year-old who played four Tests and nine ODIs.
Siraj's ODI record
Siraj who faced the snub of selectors has played 44 ODIs. He has taken 71 wickets at an average of 24.04 including a six-fer in Asia Cup 2023 final against Sri Lanka. His economy rate is 5.18 runs per over.