"No one knows anything about Jasprit Bumrah's fitness" - Aakash Chopra questions selection of only 3 pacers in India's 2025 Champions Trophy squad

Former player Aakash Chopra has questioned the selectors for picking only three specialist pacers in India's squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy. He pointed out that even among the seamers picked, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami have fitness concerns and Arshdeep Singh is relatively inexperienced in ODIs.

The ICC event will be played in Pakistan and Dubai from February 19 onwards. The selectors recently picked a 15-member Indian squad for the tournament, with all-rounder Hardik Pandya being the only seam-bowling option apart from Bumrah, Shami, and Arshdeep.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the cricketer-turned-commentator opined that India are thin in the seam-bowling department.

"Only three fast bowlers are there, and that is big news for me. If you are picking three fast bowlers, it means your thought process is to play only two out of the three. If you wanted to play three, you would have picked four. It's as simple as that. It means you have decided that you might play three spinners. You have almost played your hand before anything has started," he said (8:35).

"You have picked three fast bowlers, and in that, no one knows anything about Jasprit Bumrah's fitness. The chairman (Ajit Agarkar) was asked and he also said he doesn't know as of now. He will hopefully get fit. Mohammed Shami is probably fit but we don't know how his form and international fitness will be. Arshdeep is now being played in ODIs," Chopra added.

While Jasprit Bumrah suffered back spasms in the final Test of the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25, Mohammed Shami has been away from international cricket since the 2023 ODI World Cup final due to heel and knee issues. Arshdeep Singh, a regular member of India's T20I side, has played only eight ODIs.

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"I feel for DSP" - Aakash Chopra on Mohammed Siraj's non-selection in India's 2025 Champions Trophy squad

Mohammed Siraj was part of India's playing XI throughout the 2023 ODI World Cup. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that Mohammed Siraj should have been picked instead of a spinner in India's 2025 Champions Trophy squad.

"There is no place for Mohammed Siraj. He had not done that wrong that he has been totally sidelined. I feel for DSP. Siraj, I am feeling for you. Siraj's name should have been in this team. One spinner less could have been picked and the rest is looking okay," he said (9:25).

The former India opener expressed surprise about Harshit Rana's selection ahead of Siraj for the ODI series against England.

"When you pick only three pacers, among whom you have to play two, and it includes two pacers whose fitness you are not sure of, it is not a great story. The squad for the England series was also announced and Harshit Rana is the 16th member in that. It means even Harshit Rana is ahead of Siraj in the ODI queue, which is again a little surprising," Chopra observed.

Mohammed Siraj has picked up 71 wickets at an average of 24.04 in 43 ODI innings. On the flip side, Harshit Rana hasn't represented India in white-ball cricket and has played only 14 List A games.