Bumrah Out: India Announce Champions Trophy Squad | Aakhir Tak

Aakhir Tak – In Shorts

Jasprit Bumrah is ruled out of the Champions Trophy due to a back injury. India announced a spin-heavy squad for the tournament. Varun Chakravarthy replaced Yashasvi Jaiswal in the team. Bumrah’s fitness was doubtful after sustaining an injury during the Border Gavaskar Trophy. India’s first match is against Bangladesh on February 20. The squad includes five spinners.

Aakhir Tak – In Depth

Jasprit Bumrah has missed out on a place in the Indian squad for the Champions Trophy due to his failure to recover in time from his back injury. The tournament is scheduled to be held from February 19 to March 9 in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates. The BCCI was waiting until February 11 to make a final decision on Bumrah, but ultimately had to exclude him. Coach Gautam Gambhir, captain Rohit Sharma, and Ajit Agarkar discussed Bumrah’s fitness.

Doubts arose about Jasprit Bumrah’s participation in the mega event after he sustained a back injury during the Border Gavaskar Trophy. He experienced back issues during the New Year’s Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, preventing him from bowling in the second innings. Since then, Bumrah has not played any competitive matches. This absence is a setback for Team India.

Bumrah was selected for the three-match ODI series against England, but he did not play in the first two matches in Nagpur and Cuttack. PTI reported on Monday that a dedicated team of three at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru had been working hard to get Bumrah fit for the Champions Trophy.

Meanwhile, the Indian team faced repeated questions about Bumrah’s condition, but neither the players nor the coaches could provide any updates. This uncertainty added to the anticipation surrounding the squad announcement.

Varun Chakravarthy Rewarded

India has named Varun Chakravarthy in the squad, replacing Yashasvi Jaiswal. Chakravarthy was fast-tracked into the Indian ODI team for the series against England after winning the Player of the Series award in the T20I series. Chakravarthy made his ODI debut in the second game at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. His inclusion reflects his recent strong performances.

With the inclusion of Chakravarthy, India now has five spinners in their squad, including Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav. Jaiswal played in Nagpur but was left out of the Cuttack ODI. Jaiswal is part of the non-traveling reserves along with fast bowler Mohammed Siraj and all-rounder Shivam Dube.

India’s first match in the Champions Trophy is against Najmul Hossain Shanto’s Bangladesh on February 20 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Their marquee clash against Mohammad Rizwan’s Pakistan is on February 23. This match is expected to be a highlight of the cricket tournament.

Before heading to Dubai for the Champions Trophy, India will also play the third and final ODI of the three-match series against England on Wednesday, February 12 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

India’s Squad for Champions Trophy 2025:

Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.

Non-Traveling Substitutes: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj, and Shivam Dube.

Aakhir Tak – Key Takeaways to Remember

Jasprit Bumrah’s absence from the Champions Trophy squad due to injury is a blow to the Indian team. Varun Chakravarthy has been included in the squad. India’s first match is against Bangladesh. The squad features a strong spin bowling attack. Cricket fans now anticipate a strong performance from the team. 

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