India's bowling attack leader Jasprit Bumrah is reportedly on bed rest recovering from a back injury just weeks before India are due to start their Champions Trophy campaign in Dubai.
According to a report in The Times of India, the fast bowler has reportedly been advised to rest at home while suffering with swelling in his back, before a decision can be made about his participation in the upcoming competition. Bumrah returned home from Australia last week after he was sidelined during the final match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He didn't bowl at all during Australia's second innings at the SCG, having suffered back spasms on day two.
Bumrah has a history of back injuries, and missed almost a year of cricket between 2022 and 2023, undergoing surgery on his back in March 2023. The BCCI selectors announced that Bumrah would be rested for India's T20I series against England later this month, while India have yet to name their squad for the Champions Trophy.
Will Bumrah be fit for the Champions Trophy?
The deadline for announcing squads for the competition is this Sunday, January 19 - just under a month before India play their first game of the group stage, which will be against Bangladesh. If Bumrah is unfit for the group stage, as reported earlier this week, the knockout stage will be played between March 4 and March 9 - which is the date scheduled for the final to take place.
Jasprit Bumrah’s near-absurd 2024 is not merely his best but may go down as one of the greatest calendar-year bowling performances of all time.
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) December 30, 2024
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India will be keen to have the services of Bumrah - who is currently ranked No.7 in the world out of bowlers in the format - for the Champions Trophy. In the last ICC 50-over tournament, the 2023 World Cup, Bumrah took 20 wickets at an average of 18.65, and was a crucial force for India alongside Mohammed Shami.
While India would relish the prospect of having the pair back together for the first time after Shami's prolonged period of injury following that tournament, Bumrah's injury has potentially threatened that prospect.
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