As India approaches the 2025 Champions Trophy, one big question is who will support Mohammed Shami in fast bowling now that Jasprit Bumrah can’t play due to injury. Harshit Rana has been added to the squad as Bumrah’s replacement, but Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting believes that Arshdeep Singh should take that important spot in the team.
Ponting highlighted that Arshdeep’s left-arm bowling makes him special. “I would choose Arshdeep to replace Bumrah. He has been fantastic in T20 cricket. His skills are similar to Bumrah’s, especially when bowling with the new ball and during the last overs, which are really important,” Ponting said.
While he praised Harshit Rana’s talent, Ponting thinks that Arshdeep is better at bowling in those crucial final moments of the game. “Having a left-armer who can swing the new ball is really important, especially in big tournaments when there are lots of right-handed batsmen,” he added.
With Bumrah out, pressure is now on Shami to step up. Bumrah’s absence is seen as a big loss for India, as he’s been a key player in the bowling lineup for years. However, ex-India pacer Lakshmipathy Balaji believes Shami can fill this gap. “Shami outperformed Bumrah in the 2019 and 2023 World Cups. While Bumrah is a top bowler, Shami has a lot of experience. Before Bumrah came, Shami was the main bowler for India,” Balaji said.
The concern for India is that Shami hasn’t been in great form in recent matches since returning from a long injury break.
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