The fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah’s medical reports sent to the BCCI and the Ajit Agarkar-led selection made it clear that he was fully recovered, but the medical team at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru couldn’t say for sure if he would be ready for the Champions Trophy. The ball was left on top selector Ajit Agarkar’s pitch because the former India fast bowler didn’t want to take a chance on Bumrah, who hasn’t started bowling at full speed yet. India changed their final team for the Champions Trophy, which starts on February 19, from Bumrah to Harshit. They also replaced starter Yashasvi Jaiswal with spinner Varun Chakaravarthy.
Bumrah had surgery on his lower back in 2022, and now he hurt himself again because of stress while bowling in the final Test against Australia in Sydney. He had to leave the game after bowling 10 overs in the first test. For a month, he was told to do nothing. For the whole white-ball home series against England, Bumrah was not eligible to play.
A top BCCI source told PTI that Bumrah was told to take it easy for five weeks. After that, he got better at the NCA with the help of strength and fitness trainer Rajnikanth and physio Thulasi.
NCA says Bumrah’s medical reports are fine, but they’re not backing it up.
This person also said that Bumrah’s scan results were fine, but NCA head Nitin Patel made the final choice about Agarkar because Bumrah hadn’t been tested in a game.
“The report sent by NCA head Nitin Patel makes it clear that even though he had finished his rehab and scans looked good, it wasn’t possible to say for sure if he would be bowling fit by the start of the tournament.” That’s why the judges didn’t take any chances.
“Nitin put the ball in Ajit’s (chief selector Agarkar) court, so no one would want to risk putting an unfit player in the squad.” A source said, “How can the selection committee take that risk if the medical team doesn’t give the all-clear?”
At a meeting in Ahmedabad with chairman of selectors Agarkar, head coach Gautam Gambhir, and captain Rohit Sharma, they talked about whether to send an injured Bumrah to the Champions Trophy or a new player named Rana.
It would have been a huge shame if Bumrah had broken down in a match because the stakes are too high. Nitin Patel and the NCA burned their hands in 2022 when they pushed Bumrah to play in the two-match series against Australia before the T20 World Cup. He broke down and was out for a year.
“That was Chetan Sharma’s committee and so Agarkar didn’t want to take a chance.”
