 "Champions Trophy 2025: Three players who could replace Jasprit Bumrah in India squad")
The ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy is set to get underway a little over a week from now with hosts and defending champions Pakistan taking on New Zealand in the opening game in Karachi. India, who have won the ‘Mini World Cup’ twice and had finished runners-up the last time in took place eight years ago, commence their campaign a day later against Bangladesh with all of their matches taking place in Dubai, UAE.
With their ongoing three-match ODI series against England already secure thanks to an unassailable 2-0 lead, the Men in Blue will be aiming to experiment with their lineup in the third and final ODI that takes place in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
At the same time, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee, after consulting with the Indian team management and the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, will have to take a major decision on retaining senior pacer Jasprit Bumrah in the 15-man squad for the mega event or not.
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Bumrah has been out of action ever since he injured his back during the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney and appears doubtful for the Champions Trophy, where he was expected to miss the group-stage games. The selectors will have to take a call on whether they intend to keep Bumrah in the fray for the knockouts, assuming the remainder of the attack will get them to that stage, or include someone fitter to bolster the pace department for the first three games.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsIn case they decide to leave Bumrah out, here are three pacers who could replace Bumrah in the CT squad:
Mohammed Siraj
Mohammed Siraj might have a mixed run with the ball of late (he was the fourth-highest wicket-taker in Australia with 20 scalps, even if a bit expensive), but the Hyderabad pacer is quite the match-winner when it comes to white-ball games, especially in ICC and ACC events. Siraj had single-handedly run through the Sri Lankan batting lineup in the Asia Cup final in September 2023, collecting a match-winning haul of 6/21 .
The Gujarat Titans pacer also complemented the red-hot duo of Mohammed Shami and Bumrah in the World Cup that took place right after as the third frontline seam option, especially after seam-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya was ruled out due to an ankle injury after just four games.
Harshit Rana
If the selectors choose to look past Siraj, they can always turn Harshit Rana, whose impressed on debut in all three international formats, collecting 3/53 in his maiden ODI against England in Nagpur last week. Rana was also among Kolkata Knight Riders’ key performers in their title-winning season last year and certainly has head coach Gautam Gambhir’s backing as far as the Champions Trophy is concerned.
Whether Rohit and chief selector Agarkar will be convinced or not is something that remains to be seen, but the Delhiite certainly looks like someone who can complement Shami and/or Arshdeep well in the Champions Trophy along with all-rounder Pandya and the spin department.
Varun Chakravarthy
Chakravarthy has had a red-hot run in T20Is under Suryakumar Yadav’s leadership ever since he returned to the Indian team after more than three years during the T20I series against Bangladesh in October. And on Sunday, he finally got to represent the Men in Blue in a format other than the 20-over game as he collected 1/54 on ODI debut in Cuttack , dismissing opener Phil Salt.
India might fall slightly short on the pace department if they include Chakravarthy in their plans for the Champions Trophy. Then again, the KKR wrist-spinner has been a consistent match-winner for the Indian team in recent months, and the team management certainly could look to tap into the form in the mega event – especially when it is taking place in sub-continental conditions.
Alternatively, India could opt to include Chakravarthy as well as one of Siraj and Rana, bringing the former in place of one of their spin-bowling all-rounders (Washington Sundar likely being dropped in such a scenario). That, however, appears highly unlikely a move and India aren’t likely to make a replacement unless it is due to an injury.
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