Jasprit Bumrah ruled out of 2025 ICC Champions Trophy due to injury, THIS player named his replacement

Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy due to a lower back injury. The Men’s Selection Committee has named Harshit Rana as Bumrah’s replacement. 

Team India have also named Varun Chakaravarthy in the squad. The spinner will replace Yashasvi Jaiswal who was initially named in the provisional squad. 

India’s squad for ICC 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. 

The Indian team management was earlier facing a dilemma as uncertainty surrounded Jasprit Bumrah's availability for the upcoming Champions Trophy, with the deadline for squad selection approaching.  

Bumrah has reportedly started his rehabilitation at the NCA, where the medical team is assessing his condition and preparing a report to determine his fitness for the tournament, which begins on February 19. The BCCI is also working on a backup plan in case he doesn't receive the required fitness clearance.  

Gautam Gambhir has suggested that Harshit Rana, the young Delhi pacer who made his international debut during the Australian tour last year in the BGT, could be a potential replacement. Rana was selected over Arshdeep Singh in the playing XI for the first two ODIs against England. 

However, former India opener Aakash Chopra is not fully convinced by the backup plan proposed by Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma. He believes that if Bumrah is unable to play, the team will need to make a shift in their strategy. “India will have to change the entire goalpost if Bumrah isn't there. They will have to make a solid pivot and it's good if they do that because if they don't and become adamant that the team would be ready if they only keep Harshit for Bumrah, would we be really ready?” Chopra said on his YouTube channel. 

The former cricketer-turned-commentator emphasized that Rana doesn't seem prepared to step into Bumrah's role. The young pacer took four wickets in the first two ODIs against England. “It just doesn't feel ready. It seems like the coat hasn't come when you have to go to a wedding. It's a feeling like that. I feel a lot of options will get opened up if Bumrah isn't there. One will be that Harshit Rana will automatically come into the team,” he added. 

Chopra highlighted that Rana was selected as a like-for-like replacement for Shivam Dube during the T20I series against England as a concussion substitute. He mentioned that if the team management believes Rana's style is comparable to the Mumbai all-rounder's, then he could be a suitable replacement for Bumrah. 

"However, that will not solve the problem because Bumrah and Harshit Rana are not like-for-like replacements. We were told Harshit Rana is Shivam Dube's like-for-like replacement. Jasprit Bumrah cannot be Shivam Dube's like-for-like replacement," Chopra said.