India is poised to face a significant challenge even before the commencement of the ICC Champions Trophy, as fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is expected to miss the group stage matches due to an injury. Bumrah experienced back spasms during the recent Sydney Test against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series earlier this month.

As reported by The Indian Express, Bumrah has been instructed to report to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru due to swelling in his back. The selection committee of the BCCI convened in Mumbai on Saturday to finalize the T20I squad for the upcoming home series against England and received an update regarding Bumrah's injury status. It is noteworthy that India has requested an extension for announcing their Champions Trophy squad, despite the deadline for submitting the provisional list for the ICC tournament being set for Sunday, January 12.

The report further indicated that the situation concerning Bumrah has led selectors to deliberate on whether to include the 31-year-old in the 15-member squad or to place him in the reserves. The BCCI is expected to submit the provisional squad for the Champions Trophy; however, since teams are permitted to make adjustments to their lists until February 12, the selectors are likely to wait for further updates on Bumrah's fitness before making a final decision as the tournament approaches.

Bumrah to be fit by first week of March

A source from the BCCI informed a national daily that Bumrah is anticipated to regain fitness by the first week of March. The group-stage matches of India's Champions Trophy will conclude on March 2 in Dubai.

“The player (Bumrah) will be heading to the NCA for rehabilitation. The preliminary assessment indicates that he does not have a fracture, but there is swelling in his back. The NCA will oversee his recovery, which is expected to last for three weeks. However, following this period, he will need to participate in one or two matches, even if they are practice games arranged to evaluate his match readiness,” the source stated.

The Champions Trophy is set to commence on February 19 in Pakistan. India will kick off their campaign with an opening match against Bangladesh on February 20 at the Dubai International Stadium, followed by a highly anticipated encounter against their arch-rivals Pakistan on February 23 at the same venue, concluding their group-stage matches with a game against New Zealand.

Read Also: Dewald Brevis' Incredible Boundary Catch Goes Viral in SA20 2025

"Get the latest Bollywood entertainment news, trending celebrity news, latest celebrity news, new movie reviews, latest entertainment news, latest Bollywood news, and Bollywood celebrity fashion & style updates!"