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Bumrah's Injury, Half-Cooked Shami...; Concerns For Indian Bowling In Champions Trophy



Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami last played ODIs during the 2023 World Cup. [Source: @rohitjuglan/X]Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami last played ODIs during the 2023 World Cup. [Source: @rohitjuglan/X]

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Four specialist bowlers have been named in India’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad. Barring pacer Arshdeep Singh, who is arguably bowling as good as ever, the remaining three remain a source of concern in spite of their potential and past achievements.

On their respective day, either of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami or Kuldeep Yadav has it in him to win a match for India. That being said, peak fitness and rhythm are prerequisites for that to happen. As of February 2, 2025, each one of them is missing out on one of these two conditions.

Should Indian Bowlers Worry Rohit Sharma And Gautam Gambhir?

Fast bowlers Bumrah and Shami, in particular, haven’t played an ODI since ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. One of the main architects in India’s performance in that tournament, both Bumrah and Shami have different problems to solve.

On paper, there is no doubt whatsoever that Bumrah and Shami are India’s best pacers. In the recent past, Bumrah has even proved how his magical powers are enough to turn the tables even without match practice.

However, for his magic to unfold, Bumrah needs to be fit. At this point in time, he is not. While the who’s who of Indian cricket will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the 31-year-old player boards the plane to Dubai, Bumrah’s back has ditched his determination and the entire nation’s devotion in the past.

Speaking of Shami, the 34-year-old has bowled just three overs for India since the showpiece event in 2023. A certain started in India’s Playing XI in the fifth T20I against England at the Wankhede Stadium tonight, fans would be hoping for him to not only bowl his full quota of overs but also generate some much-needed impact for his confidence.

Since India’s tour of Sri Lanka 2024, Yadav has played the least number of competitive matches out of this trio. Returning from a hernia injury, the 30-year-old is currently playing his first match. Yadav, who bowled 31 out of the 160 overs bowled by Uttar Pradesh in the first innings of their Ranji Trophy 2024/25 match against Madhya Pradesh in Indore, leaked runs at an economy rate of 4 for his three wickets.

Slated to play his first international match in almost 16 weeks on Thursday, the left-arm spinner would want to make the most of three ODI outings against England before flying to Dubai.

Potent All-rounders Could Work Wonders For India

As far as the question in the first subheading is concerned, the answer will be in front of everyone during a three-match ODI series against England.

If truth be told, the situation isn’t all doom and gloom with respect to Indian bowling. This is not to suggest that the team management should incline towards choosing all-rounders over players with specialist skills.

But the presence of Hardik Pandya and one out of Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja or Washington Sundar would surely provide a cushion to the likes of Bumrah, Shami and Yadav, assuming they require time to attain apt rhythm. While Patel, much like Singh, is also at the pinnacle of his international career, Jadeja and Sundar can do the holding job without a iota of doubt despite not bowling a lot in their latest respective matches.