Jasprit Bumrah, India’s premier fast bowler, is set to begin his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru as he races against time to regain fitness ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. According to a report by The Times of India, the 31-year-old pacer recently underwent scans for his back injury under the supervision of the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) medical team. The results were internally reviewed, and Bumrah is now expected to resume light physical activities, including gym sessions and light bowling, within the next 24 to 48 hours.
The BCCI is optimistic but will adopt a cautious stance concerning Bumrah’s availability for the upcoming global tournament. The Champions Trophy is scheduled to start on February 19, and teams have until February 11 to finalize their rosters. Nevertheless, the BCCI will not rush its decision, possibly waiting until the last moment to determine Bumrah’s inclusion.
“Even if there is a 1% chance, the BCCI is likely to wait. They did the same with Hardik Pandya during the World Cup, keeping him in the squad for two weeks before naming Prasidh Krishna as his replacement,” a source told TOI.
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He added, “Even when Shubman Gill was down with dengue, they never considered a replacement. This approach may be no different for Bumrah. While February 11 is the squad submission deadline, they could still request a replacement later if he fails to recover in time Bumrah played all five Tests during India’s recent tour of Australia, picking up 32 wickets.”
🚨 JASPRIT BUMRAH UPDATE 🚨
– Jasprit Bumrah is all set to start the rehab at NCA and the team is likely to play the waiting game on his Champions Trophy participation. [Sahil Malhotra from TOI] pic.twitter.com/7XTj1svdUs
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) February 9, 2025
However, he suffered a back spasm in the final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground and did not bowl in the second innings. After returning to India, the medical team advised him to rest for at least five weeks. His last ODI appearance for India came in the World Cup 2023 final against Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where he claimed two wickets.
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His last white-ball game was the T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa at Kensington Oval in Barbados on June 29, 2024. The Indian team management is now keenly monitoring his recovery, with hopes that the pace spearhead will be available for the showpiece event.
