Rohit shares insight on Bumrah’s fitness with Champions Trophy on the horizon
The Indian skipper opens up on the bowling unit going into the three-match ODI series against England.
As India brace themselves for the final set of preparations going into the ICC Champions Trophy with a home series against England, a major question mark remains over the fitness of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.
The 31-year-old had sustained a back spasm during India’s final Border-Gavaskar Series Test against Australia in January. While Bumrah was named in India’s Champions Trophy squad, Indian captain Rohit Sharma had stated that the team management weren’t sure of his availability for the tournament.
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Speaking on the pacer’s fitness ahead of the first ODI against England in Nagpur, Rohit said, “Jasprit, obviously we're waiting on some update about his scan, which is due to happen in the next few days.”
Not ruling out the possibility of Bumrah’s availability in the upcoming series, Rohit added, “We're just waiting on that update, which is going to happen in the next few days, the scan. Then, probably we'll have a little more clarity about his participation in the last ODI.”
Bumrah was earlier slated to feature in the third ODI against England but the pacer's name was missing in the 16-player squad as India added Varun Chakravarthy in the fray on Tuesday.
Chakravarthy’s maiden call-up in the ODI squad comes on the back of a successful T20I series against England, where he returned with 14 wickets from five matches.
Lauding the mystery spinner, the Indian skipper said, “I understand that it is in T20 format but, he has clearly got something different about him. So we wanted to have an option and see what we could do with him.
“During the series, it presents us with an opportunity to play him at some stage and see what he is capable of.
“Right now, we're not thinking about whether we're going to take him (for Champions Trophy) or not but he definitely will be in contention if things plan out really well for us and he does what is required then that is definitely something we need to think about.”
Another positive for India going into the series is the return of Mohammed Shami. Shami, who had finished the 2023 Men’s Cricket World Cup as the leading wicket-taker, marked his return from a long injury bout in the T20I series against England.
Featuring in two games, Shami returned with three wickets. The seasoned pacer had previously also featured in India’s domestic season.
When asked if he was fazed by the pacer’s low returns with the ball, Rohit backed Shami, citing a stellar Cricket World Cup to strengthen his case.
“He has been playing cricket for the past 10-12 years and has performed for the team. You look at the World Cup and how he bowled then.
“In domestic cricket, if a few games didn't pan out the way he would've thought, then that doesn't mean he isn't a good bowler. He has won us so many games, picked so many wickets, it is crucial to keep that in mind.”
The first ODI between India and England will be played in Nagpur on February 6, Thursday.