‘It’s a team game, why talk about Bumrah?’: Kapil Dev

1983 World Cup-winning skipper Kapil Dev urges Team India to focus on collective success and not individual setbacks after star pacer Jasprit is ruled out of upcoming Champions Trophy due to lower back injury

India legend Kapil Dev has weighed in on the unfortunate injury setback to pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah ahead of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy. While acknowledging Bumrah’s impact, he emphasised that the team must step up in his absence. Bumrah has been ruled out of the marquee tournament due to a lower back injury sustained while leading India in the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney. He was India’s best bowler in the series, consistently troubling Australian batters with his exceptional control and aggressive bowling. His absence is a significant blow to India, especially given his match-winning performances in the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Ex-India skipper Kapil Dev in Kolkata yesterday. Pic/PTI

However, Kapil urged players to focus on supporting each other rather than dwelling on injured players. “Why talk about someone who is not in the team? It’s a team game and the team have to win, not individuals. This is not badminton, tennis or golf; we are playing a team sport in the Champions Trophy. If we play as a team, we will definitely win,” said the 66-year-old during at the Tata Steel Golf prize distribution ceremony here. “You never want your main players to get injured, but if it happens, you can’t do anything about it. Good luck to my Indian team — go and play well,” he added.

Shami to lead pace attack

In Bumrah’s absence, Mohammed Shami will take over as the pace attack leader with Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana competing for the other fast-bowling slots. The spin department will see a tussle between Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy, while spin-bowling all-rounders Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja will add depth to the squad.

The 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev also expressed concern over the rising number of injuries among Indian cricketers, attributing it to the demanding schedule that keeps players in action for almost 10 months each year. The National Cricket Academy in Bangalore has turned into a rehabilitation hub, with players spending more time recovering than training.

Too much cricket, injuries

“The only thing that worries me is that they play for 10 months a year — injuries will be much more common,” the former all-rounder said. Kapil also expressed excitement about the rising talent in Indian cricket. “When you see the youngsters, their confidence is unbelievable. We didn’t have this much confidence when we were young. Good luck to them,” he concluded.

BCCI secy: Jasprit’s absence won’t disrupt team combination

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has backed the Indian team to be a strong contender to lift the ICC Champions Trophy despite the absence of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. Saikia credited the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee for picking the best combination for the eight-team marquee competition.

Devajit Saikia

“We have picked the best team for the Champions Trophy. And I believe we will win the trophy. India have such a big bench strength, and I don’t think it [Bumrah’s absence] will have any major issue with the team combination,” Saikia said. 

Talking about the form of senior batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the BCCI secretary expressed confidence in the duo’s ability to shine in the tournament. Rohit slammed a century in the second ODI against England, while Kohli ended his dry run with a half-century in the final ODI as the host whitewashed the series 3-0.

“Everything is very positive in the team; see the England series; the results are in front of you. The conditions will be more or less the same in Dubai, like the Indian conditions,” Saikia said.

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