Former Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan believes that Rohit Sharma-led India will strongly feel the absence of pacer Jasprit Bumrah in the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025.
Bumrah has been ruled out for the ICC tournament due to a lower back injury, with Harshit Rana named as the replacement in the squad.
The fast bowler has been out of the action since the conclusion of the Border Gavaskar Trophy in January 2025. He copped a back injury while bowling in the final test match of the series and since then has not played a single match of cricket at any level.
Speaking to the ICC ahead of the tournament, Dhawan said Jasprit Bumrah was the only concern for an otherwise star-studded Indian team.
He was impressive during the ODI World Cup 2023 and 2024 T20 World Cup. He was named as the Player of the Tournament in the T20 World Cup after picking 15 wickets at an average of 8.26.
2013 #ChampionsTrophy hero Shikhar Dhawan shares his predictions for the upcoming 2025 edition 👀
https://t.co/8QugsNY1Hl— ICC (@ICC) February 18, 2025
“I am quite confident about India—they have a solid team and played very well against England in their recent ODI series.”
“But my concern is that they are going to miss Jasprit Bumrah. There’s no doubt he will be a huge loss, and they will feel it very strongly,” he added.
Dhawan stressed that Bumrah’s unique bowling action, accuracy has helped him succeed in tough situations.
“For me, he is the best bowler in the world, and his accuracy is hard to replicate. He is also a very calm character, which is crucial in a big ICC event like this,” he stated.
Meanwhile Harshit Rana who has been named in the ODI side after making an impressive debut against England.
“Harshit Rana’s inclusion is exciting — keep an eye on him, he could have a breakout tournament. I like his attitude; he’s a go-getter who isn’t afraid of challenges. We saw in the England series that he is in good form. If he seizes this opportunity, he could provide a real x-factor for India,” Shikhar Dhawan noted.
He also praised the Indian batters, who have knocks of value in the preparations into the tournament. With Shubman Gill has been in the hot form scoring 250+ runs in 3 ODIs, Rohit Sharma had a century and Virat Kohli had a 50+ score.
“There are many reasons to be optimistic about India. They have a well-balanced batting lineup with a mix of experience and youth. Shubman Gill, in particular, is so consistent, and I believe he will have a great tournament,” Dhawan said.
“Rohit Sharma has regained form, Virat Kohli is there — it’s a top side that will be tough to stop.”
“India performed well in the last Champions Trophy but fell short in the final. However, they played some amazing cricket, and the squad knows what they are capable of,” he added.
India will play their first Champions Trophy match against Bangladesh on February 20 at Dubai International Stadium.
