Jasprit Bumrah Ruled Out of Champions Trophy; Harshit Rana and Varun Chakravarthy Join Squad

In a major setback for Team India, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the upcoming Champions Trophy. According to sources, Bumrah is still recovering from a back injury he sustained during the Sydney Test in January. This injury had also kept him out of the England white-ball series.

Also Read: South Africa Replaces Injured Anrich Nortje with Corbin Bosch for Champions Trophy

Recent scans conducted in Bengaluru have not shown any serious concerns, but Bumrah is not yet fit to bowl. There is no confirmed timeline for his return, though he is expected to start running in a couple of weeks before gradually resuming bowling. His recovery will be closely monitored by the BCCI medical team.

This marks the second ICC tournament Bumrah will miss due to injury, following his absence from the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, where he had to undergo surgery.

Harshit Rana Replaces Jasprit Bumrah in India's Squad

Bumrah’s replacement in the squad is Harshit Rana, who recently made his ODI debut against England. The ICC had set February 11 as the final deadline for teams to submit their 15-member squads, with any further changes requiring approval from the tournament's technical committee.

Rana was already named as Bumrah's backup for the England series and debuted in Nagpur, sharing the new ball with Mohammed Shami. Although he faced early challenges, including conceding 26 runs in an over to Phil Salt, he made a strong comeback by taking three wickets, playing a crucial role in India's victory.

The selection of Rana over more experienced bowlers like Mohammed Siraj had raised questions. However, Indian captain Rohit Sharma explained that Siraj's effectiveness decreases when he does not bowl with the new ball. With Bumrah's fitness in doubt, the selectors believed that Shami could handle the new ball while Arshdeep Singh managed the death overs.

Varun Chakravarthy Replaces Yashasvi Jaiswal in Squad

In another change to the squad, spinner Varun Chakravarthy has been included in place of Yashasvi Jaiswal. Jaiswal will now be part of the non-traveling reserves along with Mohammed Siraj and Shivam Dube.

Captain Rohit Sharma had hinted at Varun’s inclusion earlier, praising his unique bowling style. The spinner has been in excellent form, taking 31 wickets at an average of 11.25 since his return to India’s T20I squad. He also made his ODI debut recently, picking up one wicket for 54 runs in Cuttack.

Final India Squad for the Champions Trophy

• Batters & Wicketkeepers: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk)
• All-rounders & Spinners: Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakravarthy
• Fast Bowlers: Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana
• Non-traveling reserves: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj, Shivam Dube

Also Read: Varun Chakravarthy Becomes India’s Second-Oldest Player to Debut in ODIs