India will compete in the Champions Trophy without their star bowler, Jasprit Bumrah. He hurt his back during the fifth Test against Australia in January and hasn’t played since. Bumrah was in amazing form, taking 86 wickets in 21 matches this year. He was named Player of the Tournament at the T20 World Cup, where he took 15 wickets in eight games. Even in the Test series, where India lost 3-1 to Australia, he took 32 wickets and was named Player of the Series.
Without Bumrah, people say that batters often win matches, but bowlers win tournaments. However, India shouldn’t worry too much. They have a strong bowling lineup with experienced players and talented spinners. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has chosen Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Hardik Pandya to lead the pace attack. The spin options include Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, and Varun Chakravarthy.
Mohammed Shami will likely be the leader of India’s bowling. He was the top wicket-taker in the 2023 ODI World Cup with 24 wickets and is close to reaching 200 ODI wickets. Hardik Pandya is another experienced player and will take on an important role, especially in the middle overs. Arshdeep Singh, with his left-arm bowling, offers a valuable variety and has been successful in T20s.
Harshit Rana was picked as Bumrah’s replacement. Although he lacks experience, he is known to take wickets. Jadeja has proven himself as a successful bowler with 226 wickets in 199 ODIs. His ability to control runs in the middle overs will be crucial. Axar Patel, another left-arm spinner, will help him. Both of them can make it hard for batters to score runs.
Kuldeep Yadav will be the more aggressive spinner, with over 170 wickets in ODIs. His wrist spin is tricky for batters to face. Varun Chakravarthy only has one ODI under his belt, but his unique spin style can be useful if Kuldeep cannot play. Washington Sundar can bowl off-spin, especially against strong left-handed batting lineups.
Overall, while India will miss Bumrah, they have a good mix of experience and talent to compete in the Champions Trophy.
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