Mumbai, Feb 12: India's pace bowler spearhead 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 allrounder Harshit Rana as Bumrah’s replacement.

Team India have also named spinner Varun Chakaravarthy, who had impressed everyone with his superb bowling in the five-match T20I series with England, in the squad. The spinner, who was also a last-minute call-up into the ODI squad against England, will replace Yashasvi Jaiswal who was initially named in the provisional squad, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia informed in a release on Tuesday.

Bumrah had suffered a back injury while leading India in the fifth and final Test of the Board-Gavaskar Trophy series in Sydney. He was India's best bowler in Australia, claiming the most wickets for the visitors, and troubled every batter with his brilliant control and aggressive bowling.

His absence will be a huge setback for India ahead of the Champions Trophy, in which India will be playing their matches in Dubai. Bumrah was the star of the Indian team's triumph in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 and would have been crucial to India's chances in the Champions Trophy, which will be played in Pakistan and UAE from February 19.

Harshit Rana, who has been named Bumrah's replacement in the squad, made a superb debut for India in the ODI series against England recently. He had also claimed three wickets on his T20I debut as a concussion substitute against England.

Rohit Sharma, who returned to form with a century in the second ODI against England in Cuttack on Sunday, will lead the squad and will open alongside vice-captain Shubman Gill. Rishabh Pant will continue to battle it out for the wicketkeeper's gloves with K.L Rahul, who was preferred by the team management in the first two matches of the ODI against England.

In Bumrah's absence, Mohammed Shami will spearhead the bowling attack with Arshdeep and Harshit Rana contending for the pace bowling slots while Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy will fight it out for the spinner's slot with spin-bowling all-rounders Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja.

India’s squad for ICC Champions Trophy, 2025: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.

Non-travelling substitutes: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj and Shivam Dube. The three players will travel to Dubai as and when required.

(IANS)

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