The uncertainty surrounding Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness ahead of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 has raised alarms among cricketing greats Ricky Ponting and Ravi Shastri.
The two believe that India’s chances in the tournament will take a significant hit if their premier fast bowler is unavailable.
Jasprit Bumrah, who dominated 2024 and was crowned ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year and ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year, played a pivotal role in India’s T20 World Cup triumph.
However, the 31-year-old has been sidelined since January due to back spasms, casting doubt over his participation in the marquee event.
Though he has been named in India’s preliminary squad, his omission from the upcoming ODI series against England has only fueled concerns.
Speaking on The ICC Review, former India head coach Ravi Shastri warned against rushing Jasprit Bumrah back into action for the Champions Trophy.
“I think it’s high risk. There’s too much big cricket coming up for India,” Shastri said. “At this stage of his career, he’s too precious to be called on for one game and expected to deliver. The expectations will be massive, but it’s never that easy when returning from injury.”
Shastri also highlighted how Bumrah’s absence would leave India vulnerable, particularly in the death overs.
“If Bumrah isn’t fit, India’s chances of winning drop by 30-35%. With him fully fit, those death overs are taken care of, making it a completely different ball game.”
Echoing Shastri’s concerns, Ricky Ponting emphasized the importance of Mohammed Shami’s fitness in India’s campaign.
“When India toured Australia, my biggest concern was Bumrah not having Shami as a backup and carrying most of the load,” Ponting noted. “That might have contributed to his injury, as he had to bowl more than expected.”
Shami, who recently returned to action in the T20I series against England, was impressive with figures of 3/25.
However, his workload management will be under scrutiny in the upcoming ODI series, with Shastri suggesting India could ease him in rather than pushing him to play all three matches.
“Bowling 10 overs is completely different from four. It’ll be crucial to see how he pulls up after bowling full spells in ODIs,” Shastri added.
India will kick off their Champions Trophy journey against Bangladesh on February 20 in Dubai.
With Jasprit Bumrah’s availability in doubt and Shami’s fitness still under the scanner, India’s pace attack remains a key talking point in the lead-up to the tournament.