Bumrah "Shouldn't Be In CT Squad If...": WC-Winning Team's Physio's Warning

Jasprit Bumrah enjoyed the series of his life in the recently-concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25. India's pace spearhead picked up 32 wickets in five Tests, equalling the record for the most wickets taken in a single series between India and Australia. However, Bumrah picked up an injury during the final Test in Sydney, which forced him to not bowl in the fourth innings and has also cast a shadow on his participation in the upcoming Champions Trophy. Former India trainer Ramji Srinivasan opined that Bumrah should not be risked for the Champions Trophy if he isn't fully fit.

"Bumrah is a treasure and he should be handled with care. A Champions Trophy is not the end of the world," said Srinivasan, who was the head strength and conditioning coach for Team India's 2011 World Cup-winning squad, to the Times of India.

"If there is the slightest doubt, he shouldn't be in the squad. Five back-to-back Test matches isn't something he has ever played in his cricketing career," Srinivasan continued.

Initially, Bumrah's injuries were reported to be back spasms, for which he had apparently gone to have scans on Day 2 of the fifth Test. Srinivasan stated that recovery from back spasms shouldn't be too difficult, but any injury beyond that should not be risked.

"If it is only spasms, he should be fit. In fact, he might be feeling alright even before he boarded the flight back home. But I am not so sure about it. The injury is related to stress, which is a direct result of playing too much cricket. If it is anything between a Grade 1 to Grade 3 injury related to stress fracture, it can take up to one to six months of recovery," Srinivasan added.

India will play three ODIs and five T20Is against England ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025.

India must announce their Champions Trophy squad by January 12, although they can make changes till February 13.

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Not Just Tests, Rohit To Retire From Cricket Totally? Ex-Captain Drops Hint

Rohit Sharma's future in Test cricket, not only as captain but also as a player for Team India, is up in the air. Following a disastrous Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25 - where Rohit scored 31 runs in five games and did not win a Test - he has been tipped to retire from the longest format of the game altogether. One such person who believes he will retire from Tests is his former skipper in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with Deccan Chargers, Adam Gilchrist. However, Gilchrist even hinted that Rohit might completely retire from international cricket after the ICC Champions Trophy.

"I don't see Rohit going to England. I just felt that he says he will assess it when he gets home. I mean, the first thing he will be met with when he gets home is a two-month-old baby that he has to change the nappies on. Now that might incentivise him to go to England. But I don't see him pressing on. I think he'll probably have a crack at the Champions Trophy and that might be. That might see him out," Gilchrist said, speaking on the Club Prairie Fire podcast.

Gilchrist also threw in an interesting name into the hat as a contender for India's Test captain. That name is none other than Virat Kohli.

"I don't know whether (Jasprit) Bumrah should be full-time captain. I reckon that might get a little bit challenging for him. So, who that next captain may be is anyone's guess, really, whether they go back to Virat (Kohli). I wouldn't be surprised if he wouldn't mind doing it," Gilchrist added.

On the other hand, former England captain Michael Vaughan did give his vote to Bumrah as India's next Test captain, but also stated that Shubman Gill could be considered as the vice-captain and a potential long-term captain.

"I would give the captain seat to Jasprit Bumrah, and the reason is the two performances that India were at their finest in Australia were Perth (first Test) and the SCG (fifth Test). And if he had not been injured, I honestly think they would have won that game," he said. I'd have someone like Shubman Gill as the vice-captain," Vaughan stated.

India's next Test selection headache will come around May, ahead of the five-Test tour of England beginning June 20.

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Champions Trophy: BCCI Eyeing Star Who's Been Out Of Action For 417 Days

The Champions Trophy squad announcement deadline is January 12. The tournament starts on February 19, while India's first match is on February 20. All eyes will be on India's squad, especially after the Border Gavaskar Trophy debacle. Focus will be on veterans like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah among others. In the midst of this, there is some positive news. Mohammed Shami, who last played an international match on November 19, 2023 (417 days ago from today), is expected to make a return, according to a report in Cricbuzz. Shami has been out of action since the 2023 ODI World Cup, where he was the top wicket-taker. 

The report said that Shami's is being closely monitored by the BCCI's medical team. Shami underwent a surgery in his ankle after the World Cup. Then a knee swelling delayed his return and he missed the Border Gavaskar Trophy. Now, the report said that there is 'optimism' in the BCCI corridors over his return. A fitness clearance from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) is mandatory for Shami to be available. 

Shami bowled regularly for his state team Bengal in t he Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy. A NCA physio is accompanying him while BCCI selectors will asses him further during the Vijay Hazare Trophy knockout matches in Baroda. 

Bumrah uncertain

The report also said that Jasprit Bumrah is still not a certainty for the Champions Trophy. Bumrah suffered a back spasm during the fifth India vs Australia Test in Sydney. He immediately went for a sacn in a hospital. The BCCI selectors are awaiting a report from the NCA regarding the pacer. He is also expected to report to the NCA.

Former Australian captain Michael Clarke has termed the incomparable Jasprit Bumrah the greatest all-format fast bowler after his Player-of-the-Series performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

"I know a lot of great fast bowlers, Curtly Ambrose, Glenn McGrath, didn't get to play T20 cricket, so I'm not talking about those guys, but in regards to anyone who has played all three formats, I think he might be the best ever," he said.

"He's actually that good in any conditions, that's what makes him great; any conditions, any format, this guy's a freak."

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"Choose To...": Dhanashree Breaks Silence Amid Divorce Rumour With Chahal

Dhanashree Verma, wife of Indian cricket team star Yuzvendra Chahal, broke her silence on Wednesday night amid viral rumours of her divorce. Chahal got engaged to Dhanashree, a YouTuber, dance choreographer and dentist, who has participated in the reality show Jhalak Dheekha Ja, on August 8, 2020. The couple got married in a private ceremony on December 22, 2020 in Gurgaon. According to reports, Chahal removed all pictures with Dhanashree from social media, fuelling the rumours. However, Dhanashree continues to keep Chahal's pictures on social media, leaving their fans wondering. 

"The past few days have been incredibly tough for my family and me. What's truly upsetting is the baseless writing, devoid of fact checking, and the character assassination of my reputation by faceless trolls spreading hate," Dhanashree wrote in a long post on her Instagram story.

"I've worked hard for years to build my name and integrity. My silence is not a sign of weakness; but of strength. While negativity spreads easily online, it takes courage and compassion to uplift others.

"I choose to focus on my truth and move forward, holding onto my values. The truth stands tall without the need for justification."

On Tuesday, Chahal posted a cryptic message on Instagram which read: "Silence is a profound melody, for those who can hear it above all the noise." - Socrates

Earlier, on Saturday, Chahal posted another cryptic message on Instagram. "Hard work spotlights the character of people. You know your journey. You know your pain. You know what all you have done to reach here. The world knows. You stand tall. You have worked with all your sweat to make your father and your mother proud. Keep standing tall like a proud son always," Chahal's Instagram story read.

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BCCI To Review Aus Debacle. Gambhir Will Survive While Kohli, Rohit...

After India's 1-3 loss against Australia in the 2024-25 Border Gavaskar Trophy series, many questions were raised on the side's senior players, mainly Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, after a series of poor outings for the duo. Head coach Gautam Gambhir and his support staff's role too has come under scrutiny. But as things stand, all three will survive the debacle and BCCI sources told IANS that Rohit and Virat will remain in contention to represent the country in the Champions Trophy and the five-match Test series against England in June.

Both Rohit and Kohli have been a vital part and mainstay of India's top-order for the past decade, and were crucial in the country winning their second T20 World Cup in June, but have heavily struggled since then. According to IANS sources, a review of the recent performances will be conducted soon but the BCCI does not blame head coach Gautam Gambhir for the defeat.

"Yes, there will be a review meeting but no firing. C'mon, you can't sack a coach for the batters' poor show in one series. Gautam Gambhir will remain the coach, and Virat and Rohit will feature in the England series. The focus is Champions Trophy," BCCI sources told IANS on Tuesday.

Kohli began the series on a high note, scoring a century in the opening Test in Perth. However, his form dipped drastically and he ended up with 190 runs in the series. He was dismissed eight times while chasing balls outside off-stump.

On the other hand, Rohit, who missed the Perth Test because of the birth of his second child, managed only 31 runs in three Tests, before opting to rest for the fifth match in Sydney.

At the end of the Sydney Test. Gambhir was questioned about Virat and Rohit's future in the side, after the BGT series, but he remained adamant that the duo still have the ‘hunger and passion' to represent the country. “I can't talk about the future of any player. It is up to them as well. But yes, what I can say is that they still have hunger and passion, they are tough people. Hopefully, they can continue to take Indian cricket forward. But ultimately, as we all know, whatever they plan, it will be in the best interest of Indian cricket,” said Gambhir.

Since Gambhir was appointed head coach across all formats, India dominated the shortest format of the game but have struggled in Test cricket. Following a 2-0 home series win against Bangladesh, following which it seemed India had all but sealed a spot in their third consecutive World Test Championship final. However, a humiliating 0-3 loss against New Zealand followed, which was the nation's first home-series defeat in 12 years. India were eliminated from WTC contention following the loss in the BGT.

India will host England for a white-ball series -- five T20Is and three ODIs starting towards the end of January before they leave for Dubai for the forthcoming Champions Trophy. India's next Test assignment will be the five-match Test series away in England in June.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Not Rohit: De Villiers Namedrops 5 Indian Players He Wants To See In SA20

South African great Ab de Villiers hopes the BCCI will allow Indian players to take part in the SA20 in the near future as it will only raise the profile of the young franchise-based league. Dinesh Karthik is set to become the first Indian cricketer to compete in the SA20 but that was only made possible when he announced his international and domestic retirement last year. The BCCI doesn't allow active players to take part in overseas leagues and as of now, the only way to play events outside India is by calling time on your career at home. Having said that, there is a growing trend of cricketers taking retirement in India to try their luck in the burgeoning overseas competitions.

"I would love to see more Indian players involved. We know Dinesh Karthik will be here this year which is fantastic and it's great for the tournament.

"And hopefully the BCCI will allow us to get more Indian players in the future to come and join the fun of the SA20," said de Villiers in a select media interaction ahead of third edition of SA20 beginning on January 9.

Having said that, he is fully aware that the BCCI is not going to make active Indian players available for overseas leagues anytime soon but he would love to his the likes of Virat Kohli being part of SA20.

”It would be nice to see some Indian players, especially in the peak form of their careers, come over and play. If I had to pick, I'd choose all the current players: Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, Virat, Shubman Gill, and Suryakumar Yadav.

"Imagine SKY playing here — that would be amazing! But if I think about past players, Robin Uthappa, Dinesh Karthik, or maybe even Irfan Pathan come to mind. Some of these players already participate in Masters Leagues around the world. Who knows, maybe I'll join them in the near future," said de Villiers.

He also reckons that only way to keep a league ahead of its rivals is by attracting the best overseas talent like the IPL has done over the years.

"We (SA20) can just keep growing with regards to the overseas players. That's a large part of the success of the IPL over the years and I've followed the IPL since 2008. It's every year the overseas contingents seem to get stronger and stronger.

"You get the best players in the world and the best players in India and that combination makes for great cricket. So I think for Graeme Smith and his team moving forward it's just to keep pushing hard, as hard as they can (to get the best overseas talent)," de Villiers said.

De Villiers not a fan of impact player rule

The contentious impact player rule in the IPL has been extended till 2027 but de Villiers is not a fan of the concept.

When asked if the rule should be introduced in SA20, he added:" "I've never been a big fan, to be honest, and I did speak about it at the IPL last season. I feel it's a bit confusing, it also puts a bit of pressure on the all-rounders and their role in the teams.

"From the outside it looks exciting, but actually when the game takes place, I've never found it to be... a good thing to have in cricket. So, I mean, you can try it out. And the SA20, they've always been open to new ideas and new rules, which I find good," he said.

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Not Hardik, Gill: This Star To Be India Vice-Captain For Champions Trophy

India's squad for Champions Trophy: While the official announcement of India's squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 may be a few days away, reports have stated that the choice for leadership is already a foregone conclusion and unlikely to change. As per a report by The Times of India, Rohit Sharma is all set to captain India in the Champions Trophy. Regarding vice-captaincy, that responsibility will reportedly be given to pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, should he recover in time for the tournament. The vice-captaincy, in particular, has been a much-debated position.

With India playing only three ODIs in 2024, there hasn't been much need to change a working formula. India, under Rohit, reached the 2023 World Cup final in dominant style, with Rohit himself performing excellently with the bat.

However, what may come as a surprise is the decision taken by the selectors to appoint Bumrah as the vice-captain. The role of vice-captaincy in limited-overs cricket has switched hands considerably.

Hardik Pandya was usually the vice-captain during the Rahul Dravid era, while KL Rahul also took up the responsibility at times. Shubman Gill was entrusted with the role in ODIs and T20Is following Gautam Gambhir's arrival, but is seemingly no more in their plans.

Instead, Bumrah is set to be named as deputy. The pacer led India to victory in their only Test win during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and has also led by example with his performances with the ball.

However, Bumrah's participation in the Champions Trophy is not certain. After picking up an injury in the final Test against Australia, he is not certain to feature in the ODI series against England from February 6, just two weeks ahead of the Champions Trophy.

If Bumrah misses out, the can of worms will be opened again regarding vice-captaincy, with no clear favourite for the role.

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