The BCCI confirmed on January 11 that India's superstar speedster Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the Champions Trophy 2025, which came down as a massive setback for Rohit Sharma's brigade.
Jasprit Bumrah sustained a lower back injury during the fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in Sydney. Prior to the official announcement, a report suggested that the Sports and Medical Science team at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru had deferred the decision on Bumrah's selection to the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee. But after the wait-game it was all clear that the India's pace spearhead is yet to recover from the gruesome injury and isn't yet fit to feature in the upcoming Champions Trophy, which is set to start from February 19.
Gautam Gambhir opens up on Jasprit Bumrah's absence in India's Champions Trophy squad
Meanwhile, India's head coach Gautam Gambhir has finally addressed the situation. He said that the medical team at the NCA should be the ones to provide an update on Jasprit Bumrah's current condition and the extent of his injury.
"Obviously he has been ruled out. But all the details, I can't give you because it's up to the medical team to talk about that how long is he going to be out for and stuff because it's the medical team that decides at NCA," Gambhir said in the post-match press conference, after Team India's series-clinching 142-run win over England in the third ODI in Ahmedabad.
The BCCI selectors thus announced Harshit Rana as Jasprit Bumrah's replacement in India's final 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy 2025. In another change to the squad, leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy has been included, taking the place of young opening batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Gambhir, however, admitted that the team management desperately wanted Bumrah in the squad but also said that somethings are not in their hands.
"Obviously we wanted him desperately. We know that what he can do, he's a world-class player. But then again, some things are not in your hands. So it's an opportunity for some of the young guys, like Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh, to put their hands up and do something for the country. Sometimes these are the opportunities which you're looking for. And Harshit has been brilliant throughout the series. He's taken some important wickets. We all know what Arshdeep can deliver. So, yes, Bumrah will always be a miss. But having someone like Mohammad Shami back with his experience is always good," Gambhir earlier said in the post-match interaction.
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Rohit Sharma-led Team India registered an emphatic win over England in the third ODI to whitewash the series 3-0. Rohit's brigade will now shift their focus on the all-important Champions Trophy 2025 which is scheduled to get underway from February 19. India will kick off their Champions Trophy campaign with a clash against Bangladesh on February 20. They will then lock horns with their arch-rivals Pakistan on February 23 which will be followed up by a battle against New Zealand on March 2
India's updated squad for Champions Trophy 2025:
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.
Non Travelling substitutes: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj and Shivam Dube. The three players will travel to Dubai as and when required.