'He's Too Precious To Be...': Ravi Shastri's Big Warning On Rushing 'Unfit' Jasprit Bumrah Back For Champions Trophy 2025

Former head coach Ravi Shastri has warned India against rushing 'unfit' Jasprit Bumrah back for the 2025 Champions Trophy. The 31-year-old suffered back spasms in the Sydney Test against Australia in January, and hasn’t played for India since. 

Bumrah was named in India's 15-member squad for the three ODIs and the Champions Trophy with an asterisk against his name, implying his inclusion is subject to fitness. When the squad was announced, chief selector Ajit Agarkar and management were hopeful that Bumrah would be fit for the third and final ODI against England.

However, on Tuesday evening, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) silently removed Bumrah's name from the India’s squad for the three-match ODI series against England, which starts on Thursday. The decision raises doubts over Bumrah's status and the suspense around the pacer's fitness continues to grow with just about two weeks left for the 2025 Champions Trophy to start. 

Ravi Shastri On Jasprit Bumrah Issue 

Former India head coach Shastri has warned against rushing Jasprit Bumrah back, despite the boost he would provide India’s Champions Trophy campaign.

"I think it's high risk. There's too much big cricket coming up for India. And at this stage of his [Bumrah’s] career, I think he's too precious to be just called on for one game out of the blue and asked to deliver," Shastri said on The ICC Review. 

"The expectations will be so much. They'll think that he'll come in straight away and set the world on fire. It's never that easy when you come back from injury," he added. 

Shastri also mentioned that Bumrah's potential absence in the Champions Trophy would leave India with a massive hole to plug.

"Bumrah not fit will reduce India's chances [of winning the Champions Trophy] by 30%, literally by 30-35%. With a fully fit Bumrah playing, you are guaranteed of those death overs. It would’ve been a different ball game altogether," he said. 

Ricky Ponting And Ravi Shastri On Mohammed Shami

Meanwhile, Ricky Ponting agreed to Shastri and believes the spotlight now shifts to Mohammed Shami, who made his return for India from injury in the ongoing limited-overs series against England.

"My biggest concern about India when they came for Australia in the Test series was Bumrah not having Shami there as a backup and him having to burden most of the load," Ponting said on The ICC Review.

"And that's probably what happened, and might even have something to do with why he [Bumrah] got hurt. He probably ended up having to bowl a bit more in that series with Shami not being there. So look, if Shami’s fit, that’s a positive," he added. 

The 62-year-old Shastri said Shami's fitness will be watched closely in the upcoming ODI series against England.

"It will be interesting to see if India play him out in all three, or they give him the first one and the third one, and then ease him into the Champions Trophy. But he'll be watched very closely because 10 overs is totally different to four overs, and then you're going to see how he pulls up in the field as well having bowled those 10 overs," Shastri said.

India begin their ICC Men’s Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh on February 20 in Dubai.