No Jasprit Bumrah in India's ODI squad for England series amid concerns over fitness

Jasprit Bumrah's name was missing from India's updated ODI squad for the England series, announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday, February 4. Bumrah was initially named in the ODI squad for the three-match series, starting on February 6 in Nagpur. The cricket board did not officially confirm Bumrah's absence, but his exclusion from the squad has raised eyebrows.

Senior selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar said that Bumrah would miss the first two ODIs when he addressed the press after announcing them squad for the England series and the Champions Trophy earlier in January. Agarkar also mentioned that a medical bulletin would be released after Bumrah consults with experts and the extent of his back injury is known.

Bumrah sustained a back injury during the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney. The star fast bowler was unable to bowl in India's second innings after he was taken for scans midway through the Test match.

“Bumrah has been advised to rest for five weeks, and he won’t be



available for the first two ODIs against England. We are monitoring his fitness and expect an update from the medical team in early February,” Agarkar had said.

Bumrah reportedly arrived in Bengaluru on Monday, February 3, to have his fitness assessed by the BCCI medical team and experts. A report is expected to be submitted as his participation in the Champions Trophy remains uncertain.

India will have three frontline pacers—Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana—for the ODI series against England. Shami, who returned to international cricket in the T20I series after a lengthy injury layoff, was bowling at full tilt on Tuesday in Nagpur.

Meanwhile, India have added spinner Varun Chakravarthy to the squad for the three-match series following his impressive performance in the recently concluded T20I series. Varun claimed 14 wickets, including a five-wicket haul, earning the Player of the Series award in the T20I series.

Varun was also in fine form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, taking 16 wickets in six matches for Tamil Nadu.