MUMBAI, India — The Indian cricket team has named its roster for the Champions Trophy, announcing on Saturday that fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah will be part of the squad despite ongoing concerns regarding his physical condition.
Bumrah faced back spasms that prevented him from bowling during the final day of the fifth test against Australia in Sydney two weeks ago. Despite this setback, he was the top wicket-taker for India in that series.
Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of selectors, indicated that Bumrah may participate in the third one-day international against England on February 12 in Ahmedabad as a means to assess his fitness ahead of the Champions Trophy, which begins for India eight days later in the United Arab Emirates.
“Medical experts have recommended that Bumrah refrain from bowling for the next five weeks, making him unavailable for the first two ODIs against England. We anticipate updates on his condition from the doctors in early February,” Agarkar mentioned.
Captain Rohit Sharma expressed uncertainty regarding Bumrah’s fitness status, which is why Arshdeep Singh has been summoned to take on his responsibilities with the new and old ball.
Yashasvi Jaiswal has been included in the lineup despite not yet playing an ODI, and he is taking Suryakumar Yadav’s position. Jaiswal will serve as a third opening option, joining Sharma and Shubman Gill. Other key players in the batting lineup include Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer.
Jaiswal boasts an impressive average of 54 in List A cricket and will be in competition with Gill, who has an ODI average of 58.20, for the second opener spot. Both Sharma and Kohli, who encountered difficulties during the recent test series against Australia, will be under scrutiny for their batting performances.
Several players who contributed to India’s run to the final in the 2023 ODI World Cup have not made the cut for the upcoming Champions Trophy. Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Ishan Kishan, Prasidh Krishna, Shardul Thakur, and Ravichandran Ashwin have all been excluded from the squad.
Ashwin has officially retired, while Yadav and Kishan have been dropped. In terms of wicketkeeper-batter options, Rishabh Pant and Lokesh Rahul have been selected.
Pacer Prasidh Krishna and allrounder Thakur have lost their places as India emphasizes its spin options, which include left-arm spin allrounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, as well as off-spin allrounder Washington Sundar. Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav rounds off the spin selections for the team.
It’s worth noting that Kuldeep Yadav has been out of action for a significant portion of the season due to a persistent groin issue that required hernia surgery.
In the fast-bowling department, India has chosen Bumrah, Singh, and Mohammed Shami. They will be supported by allrounders Hardik Pandya and Nitish Reddy, who made a notable impression during the recent series in Australia with his debut test century.
Shami has also been included in the squad for the Twenty20 matches against England before the ODIs, after a standout performance where he took 23 wickets during the 2023 World Cup.
Due to prevailing political tensions, the Indian team will conduct its Champions Trophy matches in the UAE rather than traveling to Pakistan, where the rest of the tournament will be held. India’s group games in Dubai are scheduled against Bangladesh on February 20, Pakistan on February 23, and New Zealand on March 2.
Should India advance to the semifinals or the final, both of those matches will also be played in Dubai. However, if India does not qualify for the final, that match is set to occur in Lahore on March 9.
India previously won the Champions Trophy in 2013 under MS Dhoni and finished as runner-up to Pakistan in 2017 with Virat Kohli as captain. Both tournaments took place in England.
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India’s Champions Trophy Squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Lokesh Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh.
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