Injured Bumrah Ruled Out of Champions Trophy, Harshit Rana Named Replacement

India’s leading pacer, Jasprit Bumrah, has been ruled out of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy due to a lower back injury. In his absence, the Men’s Selection Committee has named all-rounder Harshit Rana as his replacement.

Additionally, Team India has included spinner Varun Chakaravarthy in the squad following his impressive performances in the recent five-match T20I series against England.

Chakaravarthy, who was also a last-minute addition to the ODI squad against England, will replace Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was initially named in the provisional squad. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary, Devajit Saikia, confirmed this update in an official release on Tuesday.

Bumrah sustained his back injury while captaining India in the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney.

He had been India’s most effective bowler during the tour of Australia, taking the highest number of wickets for the visitors and consistently troubling opposition batters with his skillful and aggressive bowling.

His absence comes as a significant blow to India’s Champions Trophy campaign, with the team set to play its matches in Dubai.

Having played a pivotal role in India’s victorious ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, Bumrah’s presence would have been invaluable in the upcoming tournament, which is scheduled to take place in Pakistan and the UAE from February 19.

Harshit Rana, who replaces Bumrah in the squad, made a strong impression on his debut for India during the recent ODI series against England. He also grabbed three wickets on his T20I debut, coming in as a concussion substitute against the same opposition.

Leading the squad will be Rohit Sharma, who recently returned to form with a century in the second ODI against England in Cuttack. He will open the innings alongside vice-captain Shubman Gill. Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul will compete for the wicketkeeper’s spot, with Rahul being the preferred choice in the initial ODIs against England.

With Bumrah sidelined, Mohammed Shami will take charge of the pace attack, with Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana vying for a place in the playing XI. The spin department will see competition among Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, and Varun Chakaravarthy, while Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja add depth as spin-bowling all-rounders.