According to a report by The Times of India, a former India pacer who suffered from the same injury stated that if it indeed is a back spasm then Bumrah should be fit for the ICC event, however if it turns out to be a grade 1 fracture, then Bumrah may spend a lot of time on the sidelines.

“It does depend on the final diagnosis of the injury. Back spasm is normally an orange light, it tells you that something worse could be in store and you need to stop at that point… Having suffered a lower back stress fracture earlier, Bumrah must have read the signs at the right time and decided to stop in Sydney,” the former India pacer told The Times of India.

“Most likely, this time he felt a tightness in the upper back. The reports have gone to his surgeon, we should have the final results very soon. My hunch is he will be part of the first squad that will be announced for CT. After all, you can have an injury replacement later,” the former bowler added.

Former India trainer Ramji Srinivasan also gave his views on Bumrah’s injury and said that back spasm is related to stress which is a direct result of playing too much cricket and added that a grade 1 or 3 stress fracture injury could take 1-6 months to fully recover.

“I agree that if it is only spasms, he should be fit. In fact, he might be feeling alright even before he boarded the flight back home. But I am not so sure about it. The injury is related to stress, which is a direct result of playing too much cricket. If it is anything between a Grade 1 to Grade 3 injury related to stress fracture, it can take up to one to six months of recovery,” Srinivasan told The Times of India.

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The Men in Blue are set to play 5-match T20I and 3-match ODI series against England at home before setting off to Dubai for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. The tournament is set to commence from February 19 and will be played in a hybrid model with India’s matches taking place in UAE while the rest of the teams will play their share of matches in Pakistan.

The deadline to submit the preliminary squad for the mini World Cup is January 12 and the selectors now have less than a week’s time in their hands to finalize the squad. According to reports, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee are likely to announce the squad by January 10.

According to a report by Sportstar, the selectors are unlikely to spring too many surprises in the squad. India have not played any ODIs since the defeat in Sri Lanka last July. The report further said that all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s inclusion in the squad is expected to be a major talking point when the selectors will sit to finalize the team.

Pandya last featured for India in the one-day format during the 2023 ODI World Cup where he suffered an injury. After the World Cup, India have played 6 ODIs but Pandya didn’t play in any of those games.

To prove his fitness, the all-rounder was asked to play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and thus, he featured for Baroda’s group stage games and will also be playing the knockout matches.

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Shami shared a video of him training in the nets, which shows visuals of him bowling with speed and precision. This video is clearly a strong statement to the national selectors before the announcement of India’s squad for Champions Trophy.

Precision, Pace, and Passion, All Set to Take on the World! 🌍💪 #Shami #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/gIEfJidChX

— 𝕸𝖔𝖍𝖆𝖒𝖒𝖆𝖉 𝖘𝖍𝖆𝖒𝖎 (@MdShami11) January 7, 2025

Shami previously got ruled out of the selection for the Melbourne Test as he had swelling in his knee. However, former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri lashed out at the Indian team management for not including the right-arm pace bowler for the BGT against Australia.

Speaking about the five-match test series, India got knocked out of the World Test Championship (WTC) Finals as Australia came with a six-wicket victory in the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, reclaiming the title after 10 long years. Australia won the five-match series 3-1, and also qualified for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa.

The post WATCH: Mohammed Shami’s video suggests Clear vision to Indian selectors amid Exclusion from Border-Gavaskar Trophy appeared first on Cricket Country.

Karnataka’s squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy: Mayank Agarwal (C), Devdutt Padikkal, Nikin Jose, K.V. Aneesh, R. Smaran, K.L. Shrijith, Abhinav Manohar, Shreyas Gopal (VC), Hardik Raj, Prasidh Krishna, V. Koushik, Vidyadhar Patil, Abhilash Shetty, Pravin Dubey, Luvnith Sisodia, Yashovardhan Parantap

Rahul is likely to make his comeback in India’s 3-match ODI series against England which is set begin from February 6. It will be an important series for the Men in Blue as it will be their final assignment before the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.

Rahul, who was also a part of India’s squad during their last ODI series where they played Sri Lanka, will be looking to impress the selectors with the England series so that he easily makes it into India’s squad for Champions Trophy.

It is safe to say that this move was quite unexpected on Rahul’s part as the batter was among the better performers for India in the Border-Gavaskar series, playing impressive knocks in both Perth and Brisbane while batting as an opener.

It looked as if Rahul would now cement his place in India’s ODI squad as well, however this short break leaves his fans with more questions than answers.

The post KL Rahul opts out of Vijay Hazare Trophy, to take break from cricket ahead of ICC Champions Trophy appeared first on Cricket Country.

The injury was first defined as a ‘back sperm’ and the pacer even left for the hospital for scans during the second day of the Sydney Test. According to latest reports, Bumrah is set to miss the entire white-ball series against England which is set to commence from January 22 and will include 5 T20Is and 3 ODIs.

However, this is not all as Bumrah’s participation in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy also seems to be in danger. The Indian team has seen Bumrah previously miss many important tournaments and thus won’t be in favour of letting it happen again.

According to a report by RevSportz, Bumrah is expected to make it to India’s Champions Trophy squad despite his injury issues, however his participation in the tournament will remain conditional.

The team management will require clearance from medical staff at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in order to select Bumrah for the Champions Trophy which is set to commence from February 19.

“A little frustrating (on injury) but sometimes you have to respect your body, and you can’t fight your body. Sometimes, you have to accept. Would have loved to bowl on the spiciest wicket of the series. Just had a little discomfort after the first innings,” Bumrah had said after the conclusion of Sydney Test.

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According to a report by The Times of India, Rohit Sharma is set to captain the Men in Blue while the vice-captaincy duty will reportedly be handed to pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah if he recovers in time for the ICC event.

Though there were no surprises about the captaincy position as Rohit also lead India in the 3 ODI’s that they played in 2024, it was the vice-captaincy position which sparked many debates.

Hardik Pandya was usually the vice-captain in the one-day format during Rahul Dravid’s era while Shubman Gill was given the role in ODIs and T20Is following Gautam Gambhir’s arrival. However, it looks like both the players aren’t in their plans anymore as they are likely to hand over the vice-captaincy to Bumrah.

However, Bumrah’s participation in the ICC Champions Trophy isn’t certain yet as the pacer sustained an injury during the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar series in Sydney. His participation in the 3-match England ODI series which is set to commence from February 6, isn’t confirmed either.

If Bumrah does end up missing out on the Champions Trophy, then not only will India be landed a huge blow, but the team management will also have to decide on a new vice-captain for the tournament, with no clear favourites in the list.

The post NOT Hardik Pandya or Shubman Gill, THIS star to be chosen as India’s vice-captain for Champions Trophy: Report appeared first on Cricket Country.

After recovering from his heel injury, Shami has actively featured for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. In these games, Shami has proved to be quite reliant with the ball as well as the bat.

During Bengal’s clash against Madhya Pradesh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy on Sunday, Shami played a valiant knock of 42 runs from 34 deliveries. He slammed 5 boundaries and a six in his innings, helping Bengal post a respectable total of 269 in 50 overs.

This comes after the veteran also played a great cameo of 32 runs from just 17 deliveries against Chandigarh which included him smashing experienced pacer Sandeep Sharma for 19 runs in an over.

After missing out on making a return to the international fold with the Border-Gavaskar series, Shami will be eying to feature for India in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy which is set commence from February 19.

With India’s bowling unit not being fancied names with the bat, Shami’s performances could help him out when Ajit Agarkar and the rest of the selection committee sit down to pick the squad for the ICC tournament.

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Following the announcement, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi expressed his pride and optimism over Pakistan’s role as a host. This is a massive moment for Pakistan, who last hosted a major international tournament back in 1996.

“We are pleased that an agreement has been reached based on the principles of equality and respect, showcasing the spirit of cooperation and collaboration that defines our sport,” Naqvi said.

“Hosting the Champions Trophy is a significant milestone for Pakistan, highlighting our commitment to promoting cricket at the highest level and showcasing our capabilities as a premier event organizer. Pakistan is elated to welcome the world to the Champions Trophy, and we look forward to extending our renowned hospitality to all,” Naqvi added.

The Champions Trophy 2025, featuring eight teams, will begin on February 19 with the opening match between hosts Pakistan and New Zealand in Karachi. The event will culminate with the final on March 9, set to be held in Lahore unless India qualifies, in which case it will shift to Dubai.

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