Bumrah addresses 'bed rest' speculation

He is currently recovering from back injury

India pacer Jasprit Bumrah has dismissed reports claiming he has been advised bed rest due to a back injury sustained during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) in Australia.

The reports alleged that Bumrah was instructed to rest at home and avoid rushing his return to competitive cricket specially ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan next month.

The original tweet spreading this news, posted by a content aggregator on X, was deleted after the pacer's response.

Reacting to the post, Bumrah wrote: "I know fake news is easy to spread, but this made me laugh. Sources unreliable."

According to the recent Indian media reports, Bumrah, who is reportedly experiencing swelling in his back, has been asked to report to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru for rehabilitation and recovery monitoring.

His injury concerns have also led India to delay announcing their 15-member squad for the Champions Trophy 2025 by a week.

The national selectors, who met in Mumbai on Saturday to finalize the squad for the upcoming T20I series against England, were updated on Bumrah's fitness status.

While the deadline to announce the Champions Trophy squad was Sunday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has requested an extension.

"He (Bumrah) will be going to the NCA for rehabilitation. Initial reports suggest there is no fracture, but swelling in his back. The NCA will monitor his recovery, and he will be there for three weeks. Even after that, he will need to play a match or two—even practice games—to assess his match fitness," a BCCI source said.

The right-arm pacer bowled 151.2 overs across five Test matches in Australia, picking up 32 wickets at an impressive average of 13.06 and a strike rate of 28.3.

He served as the stand-in captain during the first Test in Perth, leading the team to a commanding 295-run victory in Rohit Sharma's absence. He also captained the team in the final Test in Sydney when Rohit chose to sit out.

It is pertinent to mention that the eight-team Champions Trophy tournament, consisting of 15 matches, will take place from February 19 to March 9 across venues in Pakistan and Dubai.

The teams are divided into two groups: Group A includes Pakistan, India, New Zealand and Bangladesh, while Group B features Afghanistan, South Africa, England and Australia.

The tournament opener will see hosts Pakistan facing New Zealand on February 19 in Karachi.

The highly anticipated clash between arch-rivals Pakistan and India is scheduled for February 23 in Dubai.