Former Indian all-rounder and ex-head coach Ravi Shastri has warned the Indian team management not to rush Jasprit Bumrah back onto the field.
With the Champions Trophy approaching, a big question looms over Indian cricket: How long will it take for Bumrah to regain full fitness? Will he be ready in time for the tournament? Shastri has cautioned against hurrying his return, emphasizing that bringing him back too soon could be risky. He also pointed out that without Bumrah, India’s chances of winning the Champions Trophy would drop significantly.
Bumrah had an outstanding year with the ball in 2023. His stellar performances earned him the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year in 2024. He was also named the Test Cricketer of the Year.
Alongside Test cricket, Bumrah’s magical bowling lit up T20s as well. He played a crucial role in India’s victorious T20 World Cup campaign, where he not only won the Player of the Tournament award but also played a key role in securing the title.
However, at the end of the year, during the final Test against Australia in Sydney, he left the field due to a back injury. Since then, he hasn’t played for India. Despite lingering fitness concerns, he has been named in the Champions Trophy squad.
According to Indian media reports, Bumrah arrived at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru on Monday, where scans will be conducted to assess his current condition.
He has already been ruled out of the first two ODIs against England in the upcoming three-match series. The plan was to test his fitness in the third match, but fresh reports suggest he might miss the entire series.
Shastri recalled a past mistake when India rushed Bumrah back before the 2022 T20 World Cup, playing him in two games against Australia. That decision aggravated his injury, forcing him into a long spell on the sidelines. Speaking on the ICC Review, Shastri made it clear:
“I think rushing him back is extremely risky. India has a lot of cricket ahead. At this stage of his career, Bumrah is too valuable to be thrown into a game and expected to perform immediately. People will assume he’ll return and instantly dominate, but coming back from injury is never that simple.”
If Bumrah fails to recover in time for the Champions Trophy, Shastri believes it would be a massive blow for India.
“If Bumrah isn’t fit, India’s (Champions Trophy winning) chances drop to 30 percent—it will literally decrease by 30-35 percent.”
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting agrees with Shastri. He thinks all eyes will now be on Mohammed Shami. The 34-year-old pacer recently returned to international cricket after 13 months, playing in the T20 series against England. Since the 2023 ODI World Cup final, he had been out due to an ankle injury and surgery.
“When India toured Australia for the Test series, my biggest concern was not having Shami as a backup for Bumrah. Bumrah had to shoulder most of the workload, which might have contributed to his injury. If Shami is fit, it’s a big positive for India.”
During India’s tour of Australia, Bumrah almost single-handedly led the bowling attack, claiming a record 32 wickets with an incredible bowling average of 13.06. However, the 151.2 overs he bowled took a toll on his body.
In the T20 series against England, Shami was rested for the first two matches but played in the third and fifth games. While he went wicketless in his first match, he bounced back in the final game, taking three wickets for 25 runs.
Shastri believes India will closely monitor Shami’s fitness in the ODI series.
“It’ll be interesting to see if India plays him in all three matches or just in the first and third before taking him to the Champions Trophy. He will be under close watch because bowling 10 overs in an ODI is completely different from bowling four in a T20. The key is to see how his body responds after those 10 overs.”
India will kick off their Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh in Dubai on February 20. The tournament, co-hosted by Pakistan and the UAE, will see India play all their matches in Dubai.
