Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has dismissed claims that he is on bed rest due to a back injury.
Reports suggested that Bumrah, the leader in the first and last Test against Australia and Man of the Series, needed rest after a back injury. These rumours doubt his readiness for next month’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan.
Bumrah responded by tweeting his frustration over the false reports, calling the sources unreliable. He later deleted the tweet from his X account.
Reports also mentioned that Bumrah should report to Bengaluru’s National Cricket Academy (NCA) for rehabilitation because of back swelling.
The BCCI delayed announcing the Champions Trophy squad by a week due to his injury, pushing the deadline beyond January 12.
Bumrah’s fitness update informed the national selectors who recently met in Mumbai to pick the squad for the T20 series against England.
A BCCI source confirmed, “Bumrah will undergo rehabilitation at the NCA. Initial checks show no fracture but do reveal back swelling. His recovery, taking about three weeks at the NCA, will include a few matches or practice games to assess his fitness.”
Bumrah bowled 151.2 overs in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, claiming 32 wickets with an impressive average of 13.06 and a strike rate of 28.3.
The Champions Trophy, with eight teams and 15 matches, will occur from February 19 to March 9 across venues in Pakistan and Dubai.
The teams are split into two groups: Group A has Pakistan, India, New Zealand, and Bangladesh; Group B includes Afghanistan, South Africa, England, and Australia.
The opening game on February 19 will feature host Pakistan against New Zealand in Karachi. The much-anticipated Pakistan vs. India match will happen on February 23 in Dubai.
