Jasprit Bumrah set to miss Champions Trophy group stage matches in major blow for India: Report

In what can be a major blow for India, star pacer Jasprit Bumrah is reportedly set to miss the group stage matches in the upcoming Champions Trophy.

Bumrah picked up a back injury during the recently-concluded Border-Gavaskar series where India lost 3-1. Bumrah went off the field on Day 2 of the Sydney Test and didn't come out to bowl on the final day. 

In a recent report in Indian Express, Bumrah is now set to miss the group stage games in the upcoming ICC event in Pakistan and Dubai. He has back swelling and has been asked to report to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. His recovery will be monitored there. The report added that the speedster is expected to be fully fit in the first week of March. 

India are in Group A in the Champions Trophy alongside Pakistan, Bangladesh and New Zealand. They will take on Bangladesh in their opening clash on February 20, followed by the face-off against arch-rivals Pakistan on February 23. They



will play New Zealand in their last group game on March 2 and it is not clear whether the speedster will make it for that game. 

If India qualify for the semifinals, they will feature in the first semifinal on March 4. The second semifinal will take place on March 5 followed by the final on March 9. The Indian management will be hoping for Bumrah to make it for the knockouts if not for the group stage games. 

Reports surfaced earlier that Bumrah would be rested for the majority of the white-ball series against England. India announced the T20I squad for the five T20Is, and Bumrah was not part of it. If he misses the Champions Trophy group stage matches, he is likely to miss all the games in the England ODI series as well.

The England T20I series begins on January 22 in Kolkata, with the rest of the matches taking place on January 25, 28, 31, and February 2. The ODI series will kick off on February 6, followed by the next two on February 9 and 12.