The suspense over Jasprit Bumrah's fitness continues to loom over the 2025 Champions Trophy, with less than three weeks left for India to play their first match in the tournament against Bangladesh on February 20 at the Dubai International Stadium.

After his heroic display in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), in which he took a record 32 wickets, the 31-year-old suffered a back injury during the first innings of the fifth Test in Sydney, which prevented him from bowling in the decisive second innings of the match.

According to a report by Times of India, it will be a 'miracle' if Bumrah is fit in time for the mega event scheduled to take place from February 19 to March 9 in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is waiting for Bumrah's doctor, Rowan Schouten's, update. The New Zealand-based orthopaedic surgeon operated on Bumrah when he underwent back surgery in March 2023.

“The BCCI medical team is in touch with Schouten in New Zealand. The board had also planned a visit for Bumrah to New Zealand. But that hasn't happened yet. The selectors know it will be a miracle if Bumrah turns up 100% fit in the given timeline," a BCCI source told TOI.

The report further reveals that Bumrah and other Indian pacers with a heavy workload in the Australia series were asked to offload for a few weeks. This included staying away from bowling and any other strenuous physical activity.

It is reported that the BCCI will send Bumrah's report to the doctor in New Zealand. The Indian cricket board's medical team is set to evaluate Bumrah's fitness after the end of the offloading process. Neither the BCCI nor Bumrah himself are willing to push hard for an early recovery to ensure he stays fit in the long run.

The published information states that the BCCI is already making contingency plans as Bumrah faces a race against time. While Harshit Rana has been named in the ODI squad against England, Siraj could make a comeback if Bumrah is not part of the squad for the mega event due to his experience. It is worth noting that Rana is yet to make his ODI debut.

While Bumrah was named in the squad, both skipper Rohit Sharma and skipper Ajit Agarkar seemed uncertain of his recovery. India has named just three pacers in the squad, including Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Arshdeep Singh, who are likely to lead the attack.

There are major doubts over Shami's fitness, too, as he has not played for India since the 2023 Cricket World Cup final. Shami spent almost a year on the sidelines due to an Achilles injury. He made a comeback to the Indian T20I team for the England series after playing domestic cricket for Bengal in all three formats. However, the 34-year-old did not feature in the Suryakumar Yadav-led side's playing XI for the first two games.

India can modify squad till February 12. Post that date, the International Cricket Council's (ICC) medical committee will have to approve any changes.

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