Prasad Downplays Bumrah’s Absence, Urges Team India to Step Up for Champions Trophy 2025
Former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad believes Jasprit Bumrah’s absence from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 shouldn’t be a major concern for Team India. The star fast bowler, who suffered a back injury during the fifth Test against Australia, has been ruled out of the tournament, dealing a blow to Rohit Sharma’s squad ahead of the February 19 event.
To fill the gap, the BCCI has named young pacer Harshit Rana, who has played just three ODIs, as Bumrah’s replacement. While losing a bowler of Bumrah’s caliber is a setback, Prasad emphasized that India must not rely on any single player.
"It shouldn't matter. Injuries are part of the game. Today, it's Bumrah, tomorrow it could be Kohli or Rohit. The team must be mentally strong and take responsibility,” Prasad stated at the One World One Family Cup 2025 in Bengaluru.
Siraj’s Omission Sparks Debate
On Mohammed Siraj missing out on India’s 15-member squad, Prasad admitted it was disappointing but maintained that players should focus on improving rather than questioning selections. “If I were in Siraj’s place, I’d be disappointed. But selectors have their reasons. Players should use such moments to assess where they need to improve,” he added.
India’s Squad for Champions Trophy 2025
Main Squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Reserves: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj, Shivam Dube (to travel if needed).
With or without Bumrah, all eyes are now on India as they gear up for the high-stakes ICC event.