Kapil Dev on Jasprit Bumrah's Absence: "A Big Blow for India"

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Posted by NewAdmin on 2025-02-13 08:46:25 |

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Indian cricket legend Kapil Dev has expressed concern over Jasprit Bumrah's injury-enforced absence from the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The 31-year-old pace spearhead, who was named ICC Test and Cricketer of the Year for 2024, has been ruled out due to a lower back injury sustained during the final Test against Australia in Sydney. Having already undergone back surgery in 2022, this latest injury raises concerns about his long-term fitness.

Kapil Dev, speaking on Cricket Adda, highlighted Bumrah's irreplaceable impact. "The quality of cricket Bumrah has played in the last two years has been exceptional. I don't think any other fast bowler in the world has matched his performances," he stated.

The former Indian captain acknowledged the challenge of losing key match-winners to injuries. "Big players like Bumrah, R Ashwin, Anil Kumble, and Zaheer Khan have delivered match-winning performances, and seeing them get injured is a problem for any team. I just hope Bumrah recovers soon, because a big player is a big player," he added.

Bumrah was instrumental in India's dominance last year, particularly in home series wins against England and Bangladesh. He was also the Player of the Series in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, claiming 32 wickets in five Tests. In total, he scalped 71 wickets in just 13 matches at a remarkable average of 14.92, becoming only the fourth Indian bowler after Kapil Dev, Anil Kumble, and R Ashwin to take over 70 wickets in a calendar year.

In his absence, the selection committee has named young pacer Harshit Rana as his replacement. India is set to begin their Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh on February 20 in Dubai.

Kapil Dev also backed the selection of mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, emphasizing his potential impact. "Whenever a mystery bowler enters the scene, his effect on the opposition is evident. The key will be how quickly teams figure him out, but his performances in the last couple of years have been impressive," he remarked.

With Bumrah sidelined, India will have to rely on their new bowling attack to step up in the high-stakes tournament.

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