A senior BCCI official has confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah’s medical reports were satisfactory, but the final decision regarding his selection for the upcoming Champions Trophy was left to chief selector Ajit Agarkar, who chose not to include him in the squad. Despite completing his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, Bumrah was not tested in a match situation, leading to concerns about his readiness for high-intensity cricket.
The BCCI selection panel, led by Agarkar, ultimately decided to err on the side of caution, replacing Bumrah with young pacer Harshit in India’s final squad for the Champions Trophy, scheduled to begin on February 19. Additionally, spinner Varun Chakaravarthy was drafted in as a replacement for opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, further tweaking the squad ahead of the tournament.
Bumrah, who previously underwent lower back surgery in 2022, suffered another stress-related injury while bowling in the final Test against Australia in Sydney. He had managed to bowl only ten overs in the first innings before pulling out due to discomfort. Following that, he was advised complete rest for a month and subsequently ruled out of India’s entire white-ball series against England at home.
After a five-week offloading period, Bumrah’s rehabilitation took place under the guidance of NCA’s strength and conditioning trainer Rajnikanth and physio Thulasi. His scan reports were assessed and deemed satisfactory. However, NCA head Nitin Patel, who oversaw his recovery, could not provide a definitive assurance regarding Bumrah’s match fitness. The report sent by Patel to the BCCI selectors highlighted that while the bowler had recovered and cleared all medical assessments, there was uncertainty about whether he would be fully prepared to handle the rigors of international cricket by the time the Champions Trophy commenced.
The selectors took a cautious approach, given the high stakes of the tournament. They were wary of the potential embarrassment that could arise if Bumrah broke down mid-tournament, leaving India in a vulnerable position. The NCA had previously faced criticism in 2022 when they cleared Bumrah for a bilateral series against Australia just ahead of the T20 World Cup. The decision backfired, as Bumrah suffered a relapse and was sidelined for an entire year.
Given that history, Agarkar and his panel were unwilling to take any risks, ensuring that India’s pace attack remained fully fit and available for the marquee event.
