Islamabad, Feb 4: Jasprit Bumrah, India’s star pace bowler, has reported to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) for medical scans on his injured back, raising doubts about his availability for the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025. Bumrah, who has struggled with recurring back issues, sustained another injury during the final Test of India’s recently concluded five-match series against Australia, putting his participation in the prestigious tournament in jeopardy.
Bumrah, who is still part of India’s Champions Trophy squad, will spend the next two to three days at the NCA while the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) medical team assesses the extent of his injury. Once the tests are completed, specialists at the NCA will submit their findings to the senior selection committee, headed by Ajit Agarkar. This will provide further clarity on whether Bumrah will be fit in time for the tournament.
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Initially, Bumrah was ruled out of the first two One Day Internationals (ODIs) against England. However, there was some hope that he could return for the final game of the series to regain match fitness ahead of the Champions Trophy. Unfortunately, his recovery timeline remains unclear, and his participation in the tournament is now uncertain.
During the squad announcement, India’s chief selector revealed that Bumrah had been advised to rest for five weeks and would miss the first two ODIs against England. While Bumrah denied reports that he was on complete bed rest, his fitness remains a concern, and more updates from the medical team are expected in early February.
The pacer’s availability for the Champions Trophy now depends entirely on his recovery progress over the coming weeks. Should Bumrah fail to regain full fitness in time, Harshit Rana is likely to replace him in India’s squad for the tournament. As the Champions Trophy draws near, all eyes will be on Bumrah’s fitness updates, with fans and officials hoping that the ICC Player of the Year can recover in time to spearhead India’s pace attack in the global event.
