Jasprit Bumrah to miss group stage of Champions Trophy: Reports

India’s ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah is likely to miss the group stage of the upcoming Champions Trophy due to back swelling, suggested reports.

The bowler is likely to report to National Cricket Academy (NCA), where his recovery will be monitored.

India were dealt with a massive blow on day two of the fifth Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test as Bumrah left the Sydney Cricket Ground to undergo scans in a hospital. He missed out on the rest of the test due to the back injury.

India will be back to international action via five T20Is and three ODIs against England, starting on January 22 in Kolkata, before flying to Dubai for its Champions Trophy campaign, with Pakistan hosting other half of the tournament.

The senior men’s selection committee, headed by Ajit Agarkar, was scheduled to have a meeting on Saturday to decide on the squads for the previously mentioned assignments, especially with deadline to announce Champions Trophy provisional squad falling on Sunday.

Sources told the news agency that Chakaravarthy’s prospect of being an outside chance for selection in ODI games for India, apart from being a certainty in the T20I team, comes at a time when he’s picked 18 wickets to be the leading wicket-taker in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, including consecutive five-wicket hauls on the trot.

Sources have also said to the news agency that KL Rahul will be rested from three ODIs against England, with the decision coming to have him fresh for the Champions Trophy. Rahul played five Tests in Australia, where he impressed with his crucial opening knocks in Perth and Brisbane.

Rahul being rested also means that India will be deciding for a back-up to him in the home ODIs against England to be played in Nagpur, Cuttack and Ahmedabad from February 6-12. In ODIs against Sri Lanka last year, which India lost 2-0, Rahul and Rishabh Pant were the keeper-batters.

Sources also said that Washington Sundar is also certain to make the cut for both squads, while all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who impressed with 114 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, is in frame to play the five-match T20I series against England. India have won the Champions Trophy twice, and stand alongside Australia as most successful sides of the eight-team competition.

(With inputs from syndicated feed)