India begin their bid to win the ICC Champions Trophy on Thursday but will do so without their No.1 pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah.
The 31-year-old, , who was the highest wicket-taker in the recent test series with Australia, which India lost 3-1.
Bumrah, however, suffered with back spasms during the final test in Sydney, which also caused him to miss a five-match T20 international series with England.
His absence will be a major blow to India, with Bumrah widely considered one of the best all-format fast bowlers in the sport.
‘Fast bowler 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 Harshit Rana as Bumrah’s replacement,’ the BCCI announced in a statement last week.
Rana has played two ODIs, both of which came against England this month, picking up four wickets.
The BCCI added that spinner Varun Chakaravarthy, who took 14 wickets in a five-match Twenty20 series against England in January and February, would replace batter Yashasvi Jaiswal.
India are in Group A in the Champions Trophy and meet Bangladesh in tomorrow, before taking on defending champions and rivals Pakistan and ending their group campaign against New Zealand.
Bumrah is far the only high-profile player to be absent from the tournament with Australia’s Mitchel Starc also missing.
Starc’s withdrawal, for personal reasons, means Australia are without the entire pace attack from last year’s World Cup victory.
Australia were already without captain Pat Cummins and Josh Hazelwood, as well as all-rounder Mitchell Marsh through injury.
Experienced all-rounder Marcus Stoinis, meanwhile, announced his retirement from ODI cricket last week.
Chairman of selectors George Bailey said: ‘We understand and respect Mitch’s decision.
‘His well-documented ability to play through pain and adversity, as well as forgoing opportunities in other parts of his career to put his country first should be applauded.
‘His loss is of course a blow for the Champions Trophy campaign but does provide an opportunity to someone else to make a mark on the tournament.’
Sean Abbott, who was part of the World Cup-winning squad, Nathan Ellis, Spencer Johnson and Ben Dwarshuis provide the less experienced pace options in a 15-man squad captained by Steve Smith.
Ademola Lookman has called Gian Piero Gasperini ‘deeply disrespectful’ after the Atalanta head coach branded the forward ‘one of the worst penalty takers I’ve ever seen’ following the club’s Champions League exit.
Atalanta needed to overturn a 2-1 defeat to Club Brugge in the second leg of their Champions League play-off on Tuesday night but ended up losing 3-1 at home to the Belgian side.
Lookman pulled a goal back for Atalanta early in the second half but then missed from the penalty spot as his effort was saved by Simon Mignolet.
Speaking after the game, Gasperini singled out Lookman for criticism over his decision to take the penalty.
‘Lookman was not supposed to take that penalty, he is one of the worst penalty takers I’ve ever seen,’ said Gasperini.
‘He has a frankly terrible record even in training, he converts very few of them. Retegui and De Ketelaere were there but Lookman in a moment of enthusiasm after scoring decided to take the ball and that was a gesture I did not appreciate at all.’
Lookman has now hit back at Gasperini’s ‘hurtful’ comments and insists ‘the team must always be protected’.
‘It saddens me on a day like this to have to write this statement – most of all because of what we have achieved together as a team and as a city,’ Lookman said in a statement on Wednesday.
‘Being singled out in the manner I have been not only hurts but feels deeply disrespectful, not least because of the immense hard work and commitment I have always put in each and every day to help bring success to this club and to the incredible fans of Bergamo.
‘In truth, I have dealt with many difficult moments during my time here – the majority of which I have never spoken about because in my opinion the team must always be protected and must come first. This makes what happened last night even more hurtful.
‘Along with our incredible fans, we as a team are hurting too with last night’s result. During the match the designated penalty taker instructed me to take the penalty; and to support the team I took responsibility in the moment to do so.
‘Life’s about challenges and turning pain into power which I’ll continue to do.’
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