Selectors hopeful of premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah recovering in time for ICC tournament; Mohammed Shami makes ODI return
MUMBAI: Jasprit Bumrah was on Saturday named in India’s squad for the Champions Trophy in spite of the premier pacer being advised complete rest for the time being. There is hope Bumrah can recover from his back injury in time for the ICC tournament, while another ace fast bowler who has been out for long, Mohammed Shami, has been reintegrated into the national fold. The veteran pacer, who missed the entire Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia due a swollen knee, was also included in the 15-man squad for the ODI event, just days after he was recalled for the T20I series at home against England.
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Talented opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, as expected, has also received his maiden ODI call-up. The names were announced by selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar at a media conference which was delayed by almost two hours due to a the selection committee meeting at the Wankhede Stadium here.
The same squad will play England in a three-game ODI series at home in Feb, with Harshit Rana coming in as a back-up for Bumrah.
Bumrah had suffered back spasms during the recent Sydney Test against Australia but the Agarkar-led panel is not ready to give up on him yet. Agarkar, however, made it clear that Bumrah will only be considered for selection from the third match of the ODI series against England, in Ahmedabad on Feb 12. “We are waiting to hear about his (Bumrah’s) fitness, so Harshit Rana will be part of the One-Day squad against England right now. At the moment, I don’t think Bumrah is likely to be fit for the first couple of games,” Agarkar said.
Shubman Gill named vice-captain, Arshdeep Singh pips Mohammed Siraj
In a huge vote of confidence in his abilities and in a sign of assurance that he will play in the XI ahead of Jaiswal, opener Shubman Gill has been appointed as the vice-captain of the squad. The batter endured a poor run in the Tests in Australia, scoring 93 runs in three Tests @18.60.
Surprisingly, the selectors have dropped pacer Mohammed Siraj, who took 20 wickets in the five Tests @31.15 Down Under. Terming Siraj’s exclusion as “unfortunate”, Rohit justified it by saying that the pacer’s reduced impact with the old ball influenced the call.
“Siraj’s effectiveness comes down a little bit if he’s not going to take the new ball. We discussed it at length, and we are only taking three seamers there (CT) because we wanted all the allrounders. It’s an unfortunate thing that he (Siraj) has to miss out, but we had no option but to get the guys who can perform a certain role,” he said.
It’s clear that India now prefer left-arm pacer Arshdeep over Siraj in their white-ball team. Rohit said that he had faith in Arshdeep and the seasoned Shami when it came to the bowling duties in the tournament.
“Obviously, with Bumrah missing, we’re not sure. We wanted Arshdeep to come and play that role of bowling at the back end and Shami, obviously we saw what he did with the new ball (in the World Cup 2023 and during the recent domestic matches),” he said.
“Arshdeep hasn’t played a lot of ODIs but he’s been around the whiteball circuit for a long time. I don’t feel so uncomfortable saying that he’s not experienced. He has bowled some tough overs in white-ball cricket. I definitely think he can handle that pressure and Shami is a stalwart of white-ball cricket and what he did recently in the (ODI) World Cup was superb to watch,” he added.
Shami is returning to the ODI setup for the first time since the 2023 World Cup. Amidst concerns about his knee, the pacer has done well in domestic matches across formats for Bengal this season.
The India captain also explained the rationale behind selecting Bumrah despite the pacer’s dicey fitness status. “We’re not sure about Bumrah, whether he’s going to play or not. We wanted to pick a squad where we have options of both, somebody to bowl with the new ball and somebody to bowl at the back end,” said Rohit.
Yashasvi Jaiswal in ODI set-up
Meanwhile, the rise and rise of Yashasvi Jaiswal continues. The 23-year-old Mumbaikar’s initiation into India’s ODI squad was a no-brainer after he was one of the few bright spots to emerge from the tour of Australia. Showering praise on the dashing left-hander, Rohit said, “Sometimes, I know it’s very hard to ignore numbers but look at Jaiswal. We picked Jaiswal based on clearly what he’s shown in the last 6-8 months. He’s not played a single ODI, but we still picked him because of the potential that he’s got,” he said.
Karun Nair misses out
There was no place in the squad for Karun Nair, who scored upwards of 700 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy recently, prompting the likes of Sachin Tendulkar to make supportive statements on social media. Asked why the 33-year-old Vidarbha captain had been left out, chief selector Agarkar explained that it was not possible to include him in a squad of 15 in the current situation.
“It is tough. Those are really special performances (by him). Someone who averages 700-plus, 750-plus. We did have a chat (about Karun),” Agarkar said.
“But at the moment, to find a spot in this Indian team is very difficult for him. Look at the guys who have been picked in the side. All average well in excess of mid-40s. Unfortunately, you can’t fit everyone in. It’s a squad of 15. But those performances (like Karun) certainly make you take notice,” Agarkar added.