The Indian ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out for the Champions Trophy 2025. Despite his availability could make a major impact on the side’s results, he has been ruled out which shocked cricket fans and enthusiasts.
The senior men’s team selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar has picked Harshit Rana as Bumrah’s replacement for the tournament, which begins next week.
While fans baffled on Bumrah’s exculsion, a top BCCI official has revealed the answers we all been looking for.
Jasprit Bumrah who had lower back surgery in 2022, suffered another stress-related injury while bowling in the fifth test against Australia in Sydney.
“Bumrah was asked to off-load for five weeks, after which his rehabilitation at NCA happened under strength & conditioning trainer Rajnikanth and physio Thulasi.
The report sent by NCA head Nitin Patel clearly states that while he has completed his rehabilitation and scan reports seemed to be okay, it couldn’t be concluded whether he would be bowling fit by the time the tournament starts.”
🚨 NEWS 🚨
Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy due to a lower back injury. Harshit Rana named replacement.
Other squad updates 🔽 #TeamIndia | #ChampionsTrophy https://t.co/RML5I79gKL
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 11, 2025
“Hence, the selectors didn’t take any risk,” told a top BCCI source. “Nitin left the ball in Ajit’s (chief selector Agarkar) court and hence no one would want to stick their necks out and take the risk of putting an unfit player in the squad.”
“If medical team doesn’t green-light fully, how can the selection committee take that risk,” the official said.
During the meeting between Ajit Agarkar, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma, it was discussed whether to send an unfit Bumrah to the Champions Trophy or the inexperienced Rana.
“The stakes are too high, and it would have been a complete embarrassment had Bumrah broken down in a match.”
“The NCA led by Nitin Patel had once burnt their hands in 2022 when they pushed Bumrah for the bilateral series against Australia before the T20 World Cu,p and he had broken down to be out for one year.”
“That was Chetan Sharma’s commitee and so Agarkar didn’t want to take a chance,” the report stated.
It is reported that Bumrah was yet to begin bowling fully and many in the know stated that it is extremely difficult to become match-fit in short period of time.
But it is highly possible to return to the Mumbai Indians in the IPL and then lead the bowling attack in England as Rohit Sharma is unlikely to be selected for tests again.
However, India has opted for fifth spinner Varun Chakravarthy in the squad for the series.
India’s champions Trophy campaign will be played against Bangladesh on February 20 at Dubai International Stadium.
