In a major setback, Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 due to a lower back injury. The BCCI made this heartbreaking announcement half an hour before the deadline for final changes in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy squad on Tuesday (February 11).
The BCCI also announced that the Indian selection committee has named Harshit Rana as the replacement for Jasprit Bumrah for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The 23-year-old made his ODI debut in the ongoing ODI series against England.
Additionally, in a shocking twist, young Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has been left out of the final squad, making way for 33-year-old spinner Varun Chakaravarthy for the upcoming mega event, starting on February 19 in Pakistan, with the Men in Blue playing their games in Dubai.
Gautam Gambhir under fire after Harshit Rana picked over Mohammed Siraj
Meanwhile, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir’s favorite, Harshit Rana, has been picked over the experienced pacers Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh, who have been remarkable in T20Is, for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy. This move didn’t sit well with many.
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Rana is currently playing his maiden ODI series against England, where he took four wickets across two matches. Even so, the right-arm pacer doesn’t have a proven List A record, where he played only 16 matches and scalped 26 wickets, while his T20 tally stands at 31 in 26 matches.
After the BCCI announced that Rana has been preferred over Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh, fans started slamming Gautam Gambhir for doing favoritism in the team. Many fans are calling him the worst thing that has ever happened to Indian cricket for overlooking Mohammed Siraj for the upcoming Champions Trophy.
Fans have gone to the extent of calling Gambhir the devil and demanding his sacking as the Indian head coach from the BCCI, with many calling Harshit Rana and Varun Chakravarthy’s Champions Trophy selection as the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) influence.
Both Rana and Chakaravarthy were part of KKR that won the Indian Premier League 2024 (IPL 2024) under the mentorship of Gautam Gambhir last year. This success earned the former Indian opener the coveted job of the national coach without having the experience of coaching a team.
Here’s how fans go berserk at Gautam Gambhir for overlooking Mohammed Siraj:
Everyone knows Gambhir loves Harshit Rana and he is a good talent but dropping Siraj from ODIs because of his test performance is next level dishonesty from coach to play his favourites. https://t.co/HZ3JrYy0U6
— ▲ (@CaughtAtGully) February 11, 2025
– Selected Harshit Rana over mohammed Siraj
– Selected Varun Chakraborty and removed yashasvi Jaiswal.Gautam gambhir becoming Indian team’s coach is the worst thing that happened to indian cricket. pic.twitter.com/nrSobjFEy3
— AM`👑 (@kuxzuka) February 11, 2025
Anyday anytime Mohammad Siraj >>>> Har💩 Rana…..
His only fault is he doesn’t play for KKR & Gautam Gambhir is coach….
Shame on Gambhir🤡🤡 & BCCI🤡🤡GO BACK GAMBHIR#MohammadSiraj #ChampionsTrophy2025 pic.twitter.com/mAIICnkL7M
— Cricket × Film (@CricketxMovie) February 11, 2025
Gautam Gambhir 🤡 https://t.co/ryerNoD3dF pic.twitter.com/8hFt9boSUX
— कृष्णा 🥀 (@iiamkrshn) February 11, 2025
Worst decision taken by BCCI in their history so far is to appointing this Shameless guy Gautam Gambhir coaching of India….😑
– Siraj deserves as a replacement of Jasprit Bumrah, but he goes for inexperienced Harshit Rana…🤡 pic.twitter.com/nBrR7CHWyK
— 𝖩𝖺𝗌𝗈𝗇𝕏 (@mahixcavi7) February 11, 2025
Harshit Rana MDC replaced Bumrah in the Champions Trophy squad;
Meanwhile this man Siraj 😭
Justice for Siraj 😤 #ChampionsTrophy pic.twitter.com/d5hXfyLA1i— R🦅 (@141ovalclassic) February 11, 2025
Harshit Rana over Mohammad Siraj
Seriously??? pic.twitter.com/iWzLQj3R2l
— Hum Binod (@BinodnotVinod) February 11, 2025
– Selected Harshit Rana over mohammed Siraj
– Selected Varun Chakraborty and removed yashasvi Jaiswal.This mdc biased, selfish, KKR sexual becoming Indian team’s coach is the worst thing that happened to indian cricket. pic.twitter.com/1zgMH17550
— 𝐒𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐲𝐚𝐬𝐌𝐒𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐧™ (@Itzshreyas07) February 11, 2025
Harshit Rana over Mohammad Siraj
Seriously???
This is totally rubbish 🤐
No jaspreet bumrah
No siraj
Injury concern shami
The fast bowling unite allready looking dull
What the rubbish is this pic.twitter.com/oWnFfAOBVN— Lalit Yadav (@Lalityadav_0007) February 11, 2025
What ?? Why is Harshit Rana so special for Gautam Gambhir ?? Why not Siraj ?? Selectors could have taken Shardul Thakur also who can bat also , this is really too much. I’m sure Bumrah will be playing IPL that sums of the whole story .
— Manoj (@Nixachar) February 11, 2025
The destroyer of Indian Cricket Team. Gautam Gambhir will be remembered for a long time.
He is not coaching the team… He is doing politics in the team. God pls save us from this devil.@BCCI pls sack this asap🙏#ChampionsTrophy2025 pic.twitter.com/qi56I7zz90— Akshay Vishnoi (@Hitman_nation45) February 11, 2025
Mohammed Siraj named as the non-traveling reserve
However, Mohammed Siraj has been named as the non-traveling reserve for the upcoming eight-nation tournament. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj, and Shivam Dube have been named as the non-traveling reserves, and they will travel to Dubai when India needs them.
Meanwhile, BCCI said in a release, “Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy due to a lower back injury. The Men’s Selection Committee has named Harshit Rana as Bumrah’s replacement. Team India has also named Varun Chakaravarthy in the squad. The spinner will replace Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was initially named in the provisional squad.”
India’s squad for ICC Champions Trophy, 2025:
Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Non-Travelling substitutes: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj and Shivam Dube – these players will travel to Dubai as and when required during the tournament.
The Indian cricket team is all set to kick off their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign against Bangladesh on February 20. However, all eyes will be on the Men in Blue’s next group match against arch-rivals Pakistan on February 23.
Then, India will face New Zealand in their final league match on March 2. Notably, all of India’s matches in the marquee event will be played in Dubai.