Shami's form, Bumrah's injury: Rohit calls for patience ahead of Champions Trophy

India’s captain Rohit Sharma has called for patience as pacers Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah recover from their respective injuries. While Mohammed Shami has already made his return after over a year’s hiatus, he bowled less than 6 overs in the 5-match T20I series against England. Bumrah, on the other hand, has been absent since the conclusion of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and is not a part of the 3-match ODI series, set to start on February 6.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the opener in Nagpur, Rohit said that the Indian team is waiting for news on Bumrah, who is still under the observation of the National Cricket Academy medical staff. Bumrah has been away from the team since the third day of the Sydney Test match, and there are question marks over his participation in the Champions Trophy.

“Obviously, we are waiting on some update about his scan and stuff which was due to happen in the next few days. Once we get that scan, we will be able to give you more clarity on where he is,” Rohit Sharma said.

IND vs ENG, 1st ODI: Predicted Playing XI

While Bumrah is absent from the series, India will get a better look at Mohammed Shami in the England ODIs. Shami missed over a year’s worth of international cricket after damaging his ankle and knee in the ODI World Cup 2024. Shami recently returned in the T20I series against England but barely bowled. Rohit asked the fans not to judge Shami on the basis of just one series and called upon his past performances.

“He has not played cricket for 1 or 1.5 years. So, don’t judge the player so soon. He has been playing cricket for the last 10-12 years. He has performed for the team. You can see how he has bowled in the World Cup,” Rohit commented.

India are likely to field Arshdeep Singh as their primary pacer in the first ODI match of the series. Alongside Arshdeep, India might field Mohammed Shami or choose Harshit Rana in case the former is not quite fit to bowl 10 overs. India is a little short of fast bowling options, but they have called upon an arsenal of spinners to help them through the middle period of the game.

India has Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, and Varun Chakravarthy to choose from in the ODI series vs England.