Image: Jasprit Bumrah's involvement in the 2025 Champions Trophy remains uncertain / © India Today
India’s premier pacer, Jasprit Bumrah, remains doubtful for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 due to fitness concerns. The BCCI is closely monitoring his condition and is willing to wait until the last moment before making a final decision. Bumrah, who was recently sidelined from the ODI series against England due to back issues, has begun his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.
The deadline for submitting the final squad is February 12, but the board might approach the Event Technical Committee later for a replacement if required. A source close to the BCCI stated that even if there is a “1% chance” of Bumrah regaining full fitness, the board will wait, citing a similar approach taken with Hardik Pandya and Shubman Gill in the past. The Champions Trophy is set to begin on February 19, 2025, leaving little time for Bumrah to recover. The source quoted to Times of India that:
Even if there is a 1% chance, the BCCI is likely to wait. They did the same with Hardik Pandya as they waited for close to two weeks before getting Prasidh Krishna as a replacement. Even when Shubman Gill was down with dengue, they didn’t have any thoughts of looking for a replacement. Yes, those two incidents happened during the campaign but approach with Bumrah could well be no different. This is just the deadline to submit the squad and they could approach the Event Technical Committee at a later stage to seek a replacement if he fails to regain fitness.
India has already named its 15-member squad, with Rohit Sharma leading the team and key players like Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Mohammed Shami included. With Bumrah’s participation uncertain, the BCCI faces a crucial call on whether to risk waiting or secure a replacement for the marquee tournament.