In a significant setback for India, renowned fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been excluded from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which is set to commence on February 19. Bumrah, who suffered a back injury during the final Test against Australia in Sydney last month, has not achieved full fitness and will be replaced in the squad by Harshit Rana. This marks the second occasion in the past five years that Bumrah has been unable to participate in a major ICC tournament due to injury, the first being the 2022 T20 World Cup held in Australia.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced late Tuesday that "Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy due to a lower back injury. The Men’s Selection Committee has named Harshit Rana as Bumrah’s replacement."

Additionally, spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has earned a spot in the squad following his impressive performance in the T20I series. Chakaravarthy, who took 14 wickets in five T20Is against England, has received an ODI call-up in Cuttack, where he recorded figures of 1/54.

The release further stated, "Team India have also named Varun Chakaravarthy in the squad. The spinner will replace Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was initially included in the provisional squad." Jaiswal has now been designated as one of the non-travelling substitutes, alongside Mohammed Siraj and Shivam Dube. "The three players will travel to Dubai as needed," the board confirmed.

Huge blow for India even before the start of the Champions Trophy

The recent development poses a significant challenge for India as they approach the Champions Trophy, a tournament they have previously won in 2002 and 2013. Jasprit Bumrah, whose performances across all formats since his return from a prolonged back injury have established him as arguably the best bowler globally, was instrumental in India's successful 2024 T20 World Cup campaign, where he claimed 15 wickets at an astonishing average of 8.26.

During the five-match Test series in Australia, which India lost 3-1, Bumrah was the cornerstone of the bowling attack. While the performances of his teammates were underwhelming, Bumrah's contributions were often hailed as among the finest individual displays in a Test series on Australian soil. He concluded the series with 32 wickets in nine innings, boasting an exceptional average of 13.06.

India's heavy reliance on Bumrah resulted in him bowling extended spells throughout the tour. There were instances where he appeared fatigued, notably when he requested captain Rohit Sharma not to give him the old ball during the fourth Test in Melbourne. The strain of his workload seemed to culminate on Day 2 of the fifth Test, when Bumrah, who was captaining in Rohit's absence, left the field in Sydney and was later seen departing the stadium for medical scans. Consequently, he was unable to bowl in India's second innings.

Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of selectors, expressed in January, while announcing the squad for the ongoing ODI series against England and the Champions Trophy, his hope that Bumrah would be fit enough to participate in the final match of the former. "We are currently awaiting updates on Bumrah's fitness and his potential availability," Agarkar stated during a press conference in Mumbai, alongside Rohit. "As of now, it appears unlikely that he will be fit for at least the first couple of games, based on the information we have. We expect to receive more details regarding his fitness in the coming week."

Bumrah's distinctive bowling action has served as a significant asset throughout his career. However, it has also consistently placed considerable stress on his back. In September 2019, he was diagnosed with a "minor stress fracture in his lower back," which resulted in a three-month absence from the game. In 2022, he was compelled to withdraw from the Asia Cup in August and September, subsequently missing the T20 World Cup that year. During this period, he underwent surgery, followed by an extensive recovery phase that kept him out of action for ten months. He made his return as captain during India's three-match T20I series in Ireland in July 2023.

India's revised squad for the Champions Trophy includes: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-Captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper), Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, and Varun Chakaravarthy.

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