As India prepares for the much-awaited ICC Champions Trophy 2025, their biggest concern is the fitness of 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 bowler is now doubtful for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. With the marquee tournament scheduled to begin on February 19, the uncertainty surrounding Jasprit Bumrah’s participation has shocked the Indian cricket fraternity. India.
Jasprit Bumrah’s physical scare before ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Bumrah’s stellar performance in the five-match Test series, where he claimed 32 wickets in just nine innings, and his absence in the New Year’s Test at the SCG, where India suffered a six-wicket defeat against Australia, highlighted the dependence of the Indian. cricket team in the seamer.
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The Indian pacer’s relentless workload, including over 150 overs bowled in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, left him unavailable during the second innings of the Sydney Test, and now his availability for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is uncertain.
Harbhajan Singh criticizes Team India for overloading Jasprit Bumrah
Reacting to the setback, former Indian player Harbhajan Singh slammed the management of the Indian cricket team, accusing them of relying too much on Jasprit Bumrah at every key moment. Harbhajan highlighted how the pacer was overloaded, leading to his physical collapse, which could now jeopardize India’s chances in the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Harbhajan Singh said on his YouTube channel: “They used it like squeezing juice from sugarcane. It was like, ‘Travis Head has arrived; Give the ball to Bumrah. Marnus has arrived; Give the ball to Bumrah. Steve Smith has arrived; Give the ball to Bumrah. How many overs will Bumrah bowl?
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And he added: “It has been reduced to such a condition that in the end it was not available. Had he been there, Australia might have won the fifth Test, but they would have lost eight wickets; It would have been hard for them. You broke his back and the management should have decided how many overs he should be given.”
Team India awaits clarity on Jasprit Bumrah’s injury status
Notably, Jasprit Bumrah’s participation in the upcoming white-ball series against England and the Champions Trophy 2025 remains uncertain as the extent of his back injury is yet to be determined. If the injury is minor (Grade 1), Bumrah could need two to three weeks to recover and return to action.
However, a Grade 2 injury could require up to six weeks of rehabilitation. In the worst case scenario, a grade 3 injury could keep the star out of the tournament for three months. The management of the Indian cricket team is closely monitoring the situation.
Meanwhile, the former World Cup winner criticized Team India’s selection for the fifth Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the SCG. Harbhajan Singh expressed frustration over the decision to play two spinners, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja, on a green and fast-paced pitch.
The former Indian player said the selection mistake added to India’s woes. He said: “It is beyond my comprehension that despite playing so much cricket and watching so much cricket, you don’t understand such a small thing… what to do on a field like that.”