Coach Gautam Gambhir on Wednesday said that the absence of Jasprit Bumrah from India’s Champions Trophy squad will allow “world-class” Mohammed Shami and other fast bowlers to get a chance.
Bumrah’s absence from the 50-over competition, which starts February 19 in Pakistan and Dubai, severely harmed India’s chances of bringing home the trophy. India, the top-ranked side in ODI cricket, crushed England by 142 runs in the last game to win the series 3-0 in an ideal prelude to the Champions Trophy.
But after India’s victory in Ahmedabad, Bumrah’s lower back condition remained a talking point. “If he’s injured, he’s injured; whether it’s me or whether it’s the captain, we can’t do much about it,” Gambhir told reporters. “Obviously, we know that he’s an important factor. But as I mentioned, people like Harshit (Rana), Arshdeep (Singh), and Mohammed Shami—all these guys will put their hands up. It’s a great opportunity for them to try and deliver for the country.”
In the three games of the series, pacer Harshit Rana claimed six wickets on his ODI debut. Arshdeep Singh, a left-arm seamer, made one appearance in the previous game and claimed two wickets. However, Shami’s return at the start of the white-ball series has lifted India’s morale ahead of the eight-nation Champions Trophy.
Shami, 34, who took a break after India’s 2023 World Cup final loss to Australia, has now recovered from a heel injury to play in T20 matches for his country. “Look, it’s always good to have a world-class bowler back,” said Gambhir. “With his experience and quality, we all know what he can do with the ball in his hand.”
After being forced to miss matches, Shami returned to cricket with five wickets in T20 and ODI matches, but he bowled accurately and quickly for long stretches of time. “Obviously, we were trying to manage his workload,” said the former India batsman. “That’s the reason why we played him in two T20s and two one-dayers. Hopefully, he’s going to be fresh and ready to go in the Champions Trophy.”
On February 20, India will play their first match against Bangladesh. Three days later, they will play their fiercest rivals, Pakistan, in Dubai.
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