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This entire episode perfectly sums up the lack of transparency and clarity in Indian cricket administration. One moment, a top BCCI official confidently assures that Jasprit Bumrah is playing the Champions Trophy, and more than 48 hours later he’s ruled out of the ICC event. In between, we get all sorts of reports — Bumrah bowling at the NCA, Bumrah having baked beans in Ahmedabad — only for the final verdict to come out in a midnight statement.
The biggest issue here isn’t just about Bumrah’s absence; it’s how the whole situation was handled. If he wasn’t fully fit, why not be upfront about it earlier?
Was there ever a real chance of him playing, or was this all just a way to control the narrative? It’s almost as if the BCCI didn’t want to admit too early that their best bowler wouldn’t be available. And then there’s the squad selection.
Dropping Yashasvi Jaiswal and adding an extra spinner in Varun Chakravarthy feels like an odd strategy for a tournament that is likely to favor pace. If conditions require three frontline pacers, India might struggle without Bumrah. Harshit Rana is a decent prospect, but expecting him to be a like-for-like replacement for Bumrah is unrealistic.
Overall, this whole saga — from the misinformation to the last-minute changes — feels like a classic BCCI chaos. And now, the real question is: will this “balanced” squad actually be good enough to win the Champions Trophy without Bumrah? It seems like the BCCI and medical staff were extremely cautious with Bumrah, which in a way, makes sense.
A half-fit Bumrah wouldn’t have been as effective as expected, and risking him in a high-stakes tournament like the Champions Trophy could have worsened his condition. Given his history of back injuries, they probably didn’t want to take any chances, especially with the IPL and the England tour coming up.
However, the way this whole situation was handled — mixed reports, last-minute U-turns, and vague updates — only added to the confusion. If the BCCI had concerns about his fitness, they should have been more upfront rather than letting speculation run wild. Instead, we got contradictory reports about him. At the end of the day, it looks like the BCCI prioritised long-term gains over short-term risks.
But that still doesn’t answer the question — was this decision made too late? If they had ruled Bumrah out earlier, the selectors could have planned the squad better rather than making last-minute adjustments. Now, with an extra spinner in Varun and pacer Harshit replacing Bumrah, the team’s balance remains a big question mark.
