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Star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of India’s Champions Trophy 2025 squad on February 11 due to a lower back injury that he suffered while playing against Australia in the Sydney Test last month.
Ricky Ponting picks India’s bowling attack for Champions Trophy 2025. (Picture Credit: X/@BCCI, AFP)
Former Australian captain and legendary batter Ricky Ponting has backed left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh to start ahead of Harshit Rana for India in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Team India will open its campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on Thursday, February 20, against Bangladesh at Dubai International Stadium, and the same venue will also host the high-voltage India-Pakistan match on Sunday, February 23.
According to Ponting, who has now donned the hat of an expert, Arshdeep should play for India in the tournament’s opener against Bangladesh in the absence of star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah.
Bumrah was ruled out of Champions Trophy 2025 on February 11 due to a lower back injury that he suffered while playing against Australia in the fifth Test of Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Sydney last month.
Ponting feels Rana has done alright in the chances he has got ahead of the ICC event, but left-arm pacer Arshdeep is better suited to bowl in all phases of the 50-over game.
“I would go with the left-armer, and I’d go with Arshdeep (to replace Bumrah),” Ponting said on The ICC Review.
“We know how good he’s been in T20 cricket, and if you think about the skill set, he probably provides a similar skill set to what Bumrah does with the new ball and death overs, and that’s what India will miss.”
“That’s taking nothing away from Harshit Rana because I think he has got a lot of talent and we know what he can do with the new ball, but I don’t think his death skills are as good as what Arshdeep Singh’s are.”
The former Australian captain feels the presence of a left-arm fast bowler in the playing eleven is always “crucial.”.
“And just that left-arm variation, someone that can bowl left-arm with a new ball and move the new ball. We know how important they are and how crucial they can be, especially in big tournaments when you’ve got a lot of right-handers at the top. I would personally lean that way if I was India.”
According to the only captain to win two ICC Champions Trophy titles, the Indian team is looking in good shape ahead of the start of the tournament, which will be played across three venues in Pakistan and one in Dubai despite the big loss of Bumrah.
“It’s great to see Shreyas Iyer back in the team and playing well in the middle order. He was great (against England),” he said.
“More importantly for India, (Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli) were back scoring runs, and that’s what they need going into big tournaments.
“Rohit, Virat, your experienced players, you need them to stand up in the big tournaments in the big moments. So, everything for India right now, with the exception of the loss of Bumrah, everything else looks in good order.”
- Location :
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
