Harshit Rana, center, celebrates with wicketkeeper KL Rahul after taking a wicket. (PTI Photo)
NEW DELHI: Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has suggested that Harshit Rana’s ODI debut against England indicates Jasprit Bumrah’s unavailability for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra analysed the selection move, stating that the pacer’s inclusion has further delayed Arshdeep Singh’s comeback in the format.
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"Harshit Rana's debut tells me there are minimal chances of Jasprit Bumrah being available for the Champions Trophy," Chopra remarked. "If Bumrah is not there and you have to take Harshit as he is ahead of [Mohammed] Siraj at the moment, playing him without a debut would make your heart beat fast."
Rana, who made his debut alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal in the first ODI in Nagpur on Thursday, returned figures of 3/53 in seven overs. India bowled out England for 248 before chasing the target down with four wickets in hand and 68 balls to spare.
Chopra also raised concerns about Arshdeep Singh’s prospects in ODI cricket. "When will you get Arshdeep to make a comeback in ODI cricket? That is still a question looming large because he too hasn't played for a long time. However, Harshit's debut gives me an indication that Bumrah might not be there," he added.
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The former cricketer further questioned India’s batting order, particularly Jaiswal opening the innings, which pushed Shubman Gill to No. 3. "Yashasvi Jaiswal's debut tells you that they are not looking towards or thinking about Rishabh Pant at all," Chopra stated. "I personally didn’t like Shubman at No. 3 because there is no place in the top three."
He suggested that Pant could have been a better option instead of Jaiswal, setting up a direct competition with KL Rahul for the wicketkeeper-batter’s role. "You could have possibly put Rishabh Pant in the middle. You could have done a two-horse race between Pant and Rahul. The playing XI brought more questions than it answered," Chopra observed.
With two matches left in the series, India’s team composition remains a talking point ahead of the Champions Trophy.
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