The biggest talking point around India's squad for the
ICC Champions Trophy is the availability of India's bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who is currently recovering from a back injury he suffered during the five-Test tour of Australia.
Bumrah, who shared the bulk of bowling load in the Border Gavaskar Trophy, had a remarkable series where he tormented the Australian batters throughout before being sidelined in the home team's second innings during the final Test at Sydney.
For his 32 wickets at a staggering average of 13.06, Bumrah was declared the 'Player of the Series'; but the tour ended with a blow for India with his injury.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Talking about it briefly in a video on his YouTube channel, former Pakistan batter Basit Ali said the chances of Bumrah making it to India's squad for the Champions Trophy are minimal.
"Bumrah ka dekhenge (kya) announcement hoti hai..., mera khayal hai dus percent chance hai (let's see what the announcement is around Bumrah; I think he has a 10 percent chance)," said Basit.
The deadline for announcing the squad for
Champions Trophy is January 12.
Talking about the nature of Bumrah's injury, former India trainer Ramji Srinivasan said the outcome and recovery period depends on whether it's just spasms or a stress fracture.
"I agree that if it is only spasms, he should be fit. In fact, he might be feeling all right even before he boarded the flight back home. But I am not so sure about it (the exact nature of injury)," Sinivasan told TOI.
"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," he added.
Before the Champions Trophy, which will run from February 19 to March 9, India will host England for a five-match series of T20Is from January 22 to February 2. It will be followed by three ODIs from February 6 to 12.
The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the ...
Read MoreThe TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide.
From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more.
The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics.
We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects.
We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.
Read Less