Reports came in from BCCI on Tuesday declaring the Indian pace spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah, out for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2023 due to a lower back injury, thus putting an end to all the speculations regarding the participation of Bumrah in this prestigious tournament. The senior men’s selection committee of the Indian team has declared Harshit Rana in place for the mega event starting on 19 February in Pakistan. India’s first match of the tournament is scheduled against Bangladesh at Dubai on February 20.
Selectors also included Varun Chakaravarthy in the team; the mystery spinner replaces batter Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was part of the provisional squad.
India will be playing all their matches in the tournament in Dubai.
As per reports, during the last test match against Australia in Sydney, Bumrah suffered a stress injury while bowling. He was on actual lower back surgery in 2022 and was out after bowling 10 overs in that Test match’s first innings.
“After that, five weeks of rest from bowling was suggested, which he completed under conditioning and rehabilitation at the NCA with strength and conditioning trainer Rajnikanth and physio Thulas,” someone said.
According to the anonymous source speaking to PTI, “The report sent by NCA chief Nitin Patel clearly states that while he has completed his rehabilitation and scan reports seemed to be okay, it couldn’t be concluded that whether he will be bowling fit by when tournament starts as such the selectors have kept away from this gamble.”
“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 the squad. If the medical team doesn’t green-light fully, how can the selection committee take that risk,” went the official.
The meeting among the selector chairman Agarkar, head coach Gautam Gambhir, and captain Rohit Sharma in Ahmedabad discussed whether they would take an unfit Bumrah to the Champions Trophy or go for the inexperienced Rana.
“The stakes are too high, and it would have been a complete embarrassment to have Bumrah break down in a match. The NCA, headed by Nitin Patel, had once burned their fingers in 2022 for pushing Bumrah for the bilateral series against Australia before the T20 World Cup, and he had broken down to be out for a full year.
That was Chetan Sharma’s committee, and therefore Agarkar didn’t want to take any chances.” It is quite understood that the main issue is the fact that Bumrah has not yet started bowling full tilt and those who know things said that very difficult to become fit for the match within this short time.
Otherwise, he can return for Mumbai Indians in the IPL and then lead India to England as Rohit Sharma will unlikely be selected for Tests again.
Choosing a fifth spinner in the squad in Varun Chakravarthy, who was also there for the England series, was what had been done by the Selection Committee. The fall guy this time was young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who wouldn’t be finding a place in the playing XI with Rohit and Shubman Gill opening the innings.
Jaiswal is among non-travelling reserves along with Shivam Dube (like-for-like for Hardik Pandya) and Mohammed Siraj (like-for-like for Mohammed Shami).
Chakravarthy, who has been very successful in T20Is, debuted in ODIs in Cuttack based on his T20 form, and has his own preference in head coach Gambhir.
Two selections in this Champions Trophy squad are thanks to Gambhir’s recommendation – Rana and Chakravarthy, both of whom are incidentally also found in IPL side Kolkata Knight Riders.
Squad: 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.
