Published: Feb 12, 2025, 12:30 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 12, 2025, 12:30 PM (IST)
On February 11, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed what a lot of fans feared. Superstar pacer has been declared out from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Though the press release did not provide a detailed update on Bumrah, but have stated that the back spasm has prevented him from boarding he flight to Dubai.
A report had claimed that Bumrah had been declared fit by the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. But the selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, did not take the risk to agitate the injury by taking him in the squad.
“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. Hence the selectors didn’t take any risk,” a top BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
“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 squad. If medical team doesn’t green-light fully, how can the selection committee take that risk,” the official added.
In a meeting between Ajit Agarkar, head coach Gautam Gambhir, and captain Rohit Sharma ahead of the third ODI against England in Ahmedabad, it got decided that it will be a good decision to not bring Bumrah back into action. Hence, they decided to go with Harshit Rana who made his ODI debut and has already taken 4 wickets.
“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 Cup, and he broke down to be out for one year. That was Chetan Sharma’s committee and so Agarkar didn’t want to take a chance,” the official further explained.
Jasprit Bumrah is most likely going to be seen back in action in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, where he was taken by Mumbai Indians for Rs. 18 crore. After the IPL, he will be taken in India’s tour of England for a five-match Test series to begin their World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 campaign.
