Star Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah, 31, will not feature in the Champions Trophy 2025. Due to a lower back injury sustained while playing in the fifth Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3-5, 2025, Bumrah was ruled out of the eight-team ICC event on February 11. While fumraah was named in the provisional squad announced by the selectors on January 18 in Mumbai, Bumrah was withdrawn from the squad on the last day making any such changes, and Harshit Rana was named as his replacement.
Bumrah’s absence is a huge setback for Team India; this Ahmedabad pacer was red-hot last year, playing in 21 matches across formats and accounting for 86 scalps. In recognition of his incredible performance with the ball, Bumrah was awarded the ICC Cricketer of the Year and ICC Test Cricketer of the Year in 2024. In Bumrah’s absence, Mohammed Shami will be leading India’s bowling attack in the Champions Trophy 2025, partnered by T20I Cricketer of the Year 2024 Arshdeep Singh and Harshit.
Team India will be playing its first match on Thursday, February 20, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium against Bangladesh. Before that tournament opening for India, Sanjana Ganesan, Bumrah’s wife and who is a sports presenter, offered a major update on Bumrah regarding his fitness and recovery from back injury, while during an interview with star Bangladeshi all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz.
As per Sanjana, Bumrah has started initial training at the NCA (National Cricket Academy) in Bengaluru.
He is fine. He is practicing at NCA,” said Sanjana when Miraz asked her, “How is Bumrah, then?
Buy means “happy” in Bangla; for the Team of Najmul Hossain Shanto, who will be subject to scrutiny in the Thursday match, Miraz is happy to note that Bumrah will not play in the Champions Trophy 2025.
“He is a very different bowler and very dangerous, uff! He is not going to come here. We are very happy. He is very dangerous. Everybody respects him. Everybody hesitates in front of him. He has thrown me out twice. He has improved a lot. He bowls also in both ways,” Miraz said.
In his career, Bumrah has made several toasts from the 149 batters in 89 ODI matches since he debuted on the world stage against Australia in Sydney on January 23, 2016.