As India prepare for the much-awaited ICC Champions Trophy 2025, their biggest concern is the fitness of ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who suffered a back spasm during the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 against Australia in Sydney. Cricket Ground (SCG).
India’s top pacer is doubtful for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. With the marquee tournament set to begin on February 19, the uncertainty surrounding Jasprit Bumrah’s participation has shocked the Indian cricket fraternity.
Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness scare ahead of ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Bumrah’s stellar performance in the five-match Test series, where he scored 32 in just nine innings, and his absence from the New Year’s Test at the SCG, where India suffered a six-wicket defeat against Australia, highlighted the Indians’ dependence. cricket team over sailor.
The Indian pacer’s relentless workload, including more than 150 knocks in the Sarhad-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, made him unavailable for the second innings of the Sydney Test and now his availability for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is in doubt.
Harbhajan Singh criticizes Team India for overloading Jasprit Bumrah
Reacting to the failure, former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh slammed the management of the Indian cricket team, accusing them of over-relying on Jasprit Bumrah at every key juncture. Harbhajan highlighted how the pacemaker was overloaded and led to his physical breakdown, which could now jeopardize India’s chances in Champions Trophy 2025.
Harbhajan Singh said on his YouTube channel, “It was used like you squeeze juice from sugarcane. Like, ‘Here comes Travis Head; pass the ball to Bumrah. Marnus came; pass the ball to Bumrah. Steve Smith arrived; give the ball to Bumrah.’ How far will Bumrah go?”
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He added: “He was put in a position where he didn’t exist in the end. Had he been there, Australia might have won the fifth Test, but they would have lost eight wickets; it would be difficult for them. You broke his back, the management should have decided how much he should be paid.”
Team India is waiting for clarity on Jasprit Bumrah’s injury status
Notably, Jasprit Bumrah’s participation in the upcoming white-ball series against England and Champions Trophy 2025 remains uncertain as the extent of his back injury is yet to be ascertained. If the injury is minor (grade 1), Bumrah may need two to three weeks to recover and return to action.
However, a grade 2 injury may require up to six weeks of rehabilitation. In a worst-case scenario, a grade 3 injury could sideline the star pacer for three months and rule him out of the tournament. The management of the Indian cricket team is closely monitoring the situation.
Meanwhile, the former World Cup winner criticized India’s team selection for the fifth Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the SCG. Harbhajan Singh expressed disappointment over the decision to play two spinners, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja, on a green, pace-friendly pitch.
The former Indian spinner said the selection error added to India’s woes. He said: “Even though you’ve played so much cricket and watched so much cricket, you don’t understand such a small thing … what to do on a pitch like this.”
