India’s bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the three-match ODI series against England. It will take Bumrah some more time to be fully fit from the back spasms that he suffered during the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already removed Bumrah from the 16-member squad for the ODIs against England without giving any official update on his fitness. His absence raises questions about his participation in the upcoming Champions Trophy.

Also read: ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Pat Cummins ruled out, 2 superstars fighting for captaincy

Jasprit Bumrah ruled out of ODIs against England

Jasprit Bumrah suffered back spasms during the Sydney Test against Australia in early January. He immediately went off the field after experiencing the pain and didn’t return again. His absence hurt India as they went on to lose the match with a depleted bowling attack.

When the squad was announced for the ODI series against England and the Champions Trophy 2025, India’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar had ruled Bumrah out of the first two ODIs but expected him to be fit for the third ODI against England.

However, the board is still not satisfied with the pacer’s fitness, thus, ruling him out of the entire ODI series. While the board officially announced the inclusion of the mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy in India’s ODI squad, it didn’t say anything about Bumrah.

Jasprit Bumrah doubtful for Champions Trophy 2025

The BCCI is yet to provide any official update on Jasprit Bumrah and his fitness status. It also raises concerns over his availability for the Champions Trophy where he will be a key player for India.

A report in TOI confirmed that Bumrah has reached the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and will stay there for a few days in an attempt to be fit in time. He can only make a comeback once he gets cleared from the physios at the center.

Earlier, Ajit Agarkar announced the Indian team for the ODI series against England and the Champions Trophy 2025 and mentioned Bumrah’s name there. However, he mentioned that the pacer’s fitness will be assessed in early February by the BCCI’s medical team.

Other pace options for India

Apart from him, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana are the frontline pace options for India along with the all-round abilities of Hardik Pandya. Rana is not yet in the Champions Trophy squad but was included in the first two ODIs in place of Bumrah.

Jasprit Bumrah’s absence is a huge blow for India as he has been one probably the most consistent performer of the team for the last one year or so. The 31-year-old fast bowler has been the best bowler across formats and has established himself as a lethal bowler over the years.

Recently, he was awarded the ICC Cricketer of the Year and ICC Test Cricketer of the Year for his magnificent performances in the year 2024. While he didn’t play any ODIs, his performances in Tests and T20Is were outstanding.