India Suffer Champions Trophy Setback as Bumrah Ruled Out
Rana, who made his ODI debut this month against England, has played two matches and taken four wickets.
India has been dealt a major setback ahead of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, with star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah ruled out due to a lower back injury.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the news on Tuesday, marking a significant blow to the team’s title hopes.
Bumrah, India’s highest wicket-taker in the recent Test series against Australia—which India lost 3-1—suffered back spasms during the final Test in Sydney last month.
The injury had already sidelined him from the five-match T20 series against England, and now it has forced him out of the Champions Trophy.
The 31-year-old’s absence is a major loss for India, as he is regarded as one of the finest all-format fast bowlers in world cricket.
“Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy due to a lower back injury. The men’s selection committee has named Harshit Rana as his replacement,” the BCCI announced in a statement.
Rana, who made his ODI debut this month against England, has played two matches and taken four wickets.
Meanwhile, the BCCI also confirmed that spinner Varun Chakaravarthy, who impressed with 14 wickets in the recent T20 series against England, will replace batter Yashasvi Jaiswal in the squad.
India, placed in Group A, will kick off their campaign against Bangladesh in Dubai on February 20.
They will then face arch-rivals and defending champions Pakistan before concluding the group stage against New Zealand.
India Squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja.