Arshdeep Singh outshines Harshit Rana to replace Jasprit Bumrah in Champions Trophy squad selected by Ricky Ponting

Heading into the start of the 2025 Champions Trophy, one of the major talking points surrounding the Indian team is the selection of a fast bowler to accompany Mohammed Shami in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah. Although Harshit Rana was initially named as Bumrah's replacement, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has suggested that Arshdeep Singh should be the one to step up in Bumrah's absence during the tournament.

Ponting said that the fact that Arshdeep is a left-armer makes him stand out. "I would go with the left-armer and I'd go with Arshdeep (to replace Bumrah). We know how good he's been in T20 cricket and if you think about the skill set, he probably provides a similar skill set to what Bumrah does with new ball and death overs and that's what India will miss," Ponting said on ICC.

"That's taking nothing away from Harshit Rana because I think he has got a lot of talent and we know what he can do with the new ball, but I don't think his death skills are as good as what Arshdeep Singh’s are. And just that left-arm variation, someone that can bowl left-arm with a new ball and move the new ball. We know how important they are and crucial they can be, especially in big tournaments when you've got a lot of right-handers at the top. I would personally lean that way if I was India," he added.

All eyes on Shami in Bumrah's absence

Bumrah's absence due to injury is being seen as a major blow to India's chances of winning the Champions Trophy, with the pacer having practically carried the Indian attack across formats for the past couple of years. However, former India pacer Lakshmipathy Balaji feels that Shami can fill up the gap left by the 31-year-old ace pacer.

"Actually, he had out-bowled Bumrah in the 2019 (50-over World Cup) and in the last World Cup (2023). Bumrah is the champion bowler across formats. But Shami has experience and, before Bumrah's arrival, it was Shami who carried India's attack all through," Balaji said. The worry for India is that Shami has been far from his best in the few matches he has played in domestic and international cricket since returning from an injury break that kept him out for well over a year.

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