Thu Feb 13 10:21:50 UTC 2025: ## Bumrah’s Absence Shouldn’t Deter India in Champions Trophy, Says Prasad

**Bengaluru, India** – Former Indian pacer Venkatesh Prasad has asserted that the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, ruled out of the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 due to a back injury, shouldn’t significantly impact the team’s performance. While acknowledging the considerable loss of Bumrah’s experience, particularly in an ICC tournament, Prasad stressed the importance of collective responsibility.

“It shouldn’t matter,” Prasad stated on the sidelines of the One World One Family Cup 2025. He urged the team to step up, emphasizing that reliance on any single player is detrimental. “Today it could be Bumrah, tomorrow it could be Kohli or Rohit Sharma. You can’t be dependent on any one particular player,” he added.

Bumrah’s replacement is the relatively inexperienced Harshit Rana, who has only three ODIs under his belt. The news of Bumrah’s absence comes as a major setback for the Indian team, who begin their Champions Trophy campaign on February 19th.

Prasad also commented on the omission of Mohammed Siraj from the provisional 15-member squad, suggesting that any disappointment should fuel self-improvement. He advised players to focus on areas for development rather than dwelling on selection decisions.

The Indian squad for the Champions Trophy includes Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, and Varun Chakaravarthy. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj, and Shivam Dube will serve as non-travelling substitutes.

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