Major Setback for India: Bumrah Ruled Out, Harshit Rana Steps In!

No Bumrah for Champions Trophy! India Bets on Harshit Rana & Varun Chakravarthy

India suffered a major setback ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy as ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the tournament due to a lingering back injury. Although his latest scans conducted in Bengaluru over the weekend did not reveal any severe damage, he is yet to regain full bowling fitness. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has named Harshit Rana as his replacement, while Varun Chakravarthy has also been drafted into the squad in place of Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Bumrah's Absence a Major Setback

Bumrah had sustained a back injury during the Sydney Test in January, which also forced him out of the England white-ball series. Despite undergoing rehabilitation, he remains unfit for competitive bowling. While he is expected to resume running in the coming weeks, there is no definite timeline for his return to full action. His progress will continue to be monitored by the BCCI’s medical team in Bengaluru.

This marks the second ICC tournament the pacer will miss due to injury. He had previously been ruled out of the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia with a similar back issue that later required surgery.

Harshit Rana Replaces Bumrah in India’s Squad

Since Bumrah is unavailable, the selection committee, comprising Ajit Agarkar, has also opted for Harshit Rana as his replacement. Lately, the Delhi pacer made his ODI debut against England and has proved his prowess to handle pressure. But in his third over, they came back through three crucial wickets and a haul of 32 runs for Phil Salt for India to clinch victory.

Siraj was unlucky to be outshone by Rana, even though the pacer had proven himself as one of India’s most consistent players in this country’s fine 2023 World Cup campaign. However, Indian skipper, Rohit Sharma had previously justified the decision by stating, “Siraj's effectiveness comes down a little if he is not going to take the new ball.”

With Mohammed Shami leading the attack and Arshdeep Singh handling the death overs, the team management backed Rana’s ability to contribute to the powerplay.

Varun Chakravarthy Replaces Yashasvi Jaiswal

In another squad update, Varun Chakhavarthy replaces Yashasvi Jaiswal. Now, Siraj and Shivam Dube along with the young opener will perform non-travelling reserve duty.

He had something different about him, indicated Rohit Sharma, indicating that Varun could have been included. Since making his T20I comeback, surely a mystery spinner in excellent form, he has taken 31 wickets at an average of 11.25. In Cuttack also he made his ODI debut by bowling 1 for 54.

Final India Squad for the Champions Trophy

Here’s the final India squad for the Champions Trophy:

Non-Travelling Reserves:

With this finalized squad, India's bowling attack will have to step up in Bumrah's absence to keep their Champions Trophy hopes alive