India has booked their place in the semifinals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, finishing at the top of their group with an impeccable record in the league stage. Their next challenge? A blockbuster showdown against Australia in the knockout round.
What makes India’s journey even more impressive is that they have achieved this feat without their star pacer, Jasprit Bumrah, who has been ruled out of the tournament due to a lower-back injury. However, former cricketer Deep Dasgupta believes that no team can truly fill the void left by a game-changer like Bumrah.
“Bumrah is the best in the world, and he is a match-winner,” Dasgupta stated, emphasizing the impact of the ace fast bowler.
“So, if your team doesn’t have a match winner, they will have a shortcoming. But no matter how good they are, no matter who comes, you will always miss Bumrah. There is no doubt about that,” he added.
Despite India’s dominant performance so far, Dasgupta remains firm in his belief that Bumrah’s absence is a significant blow. He insists that even if India goes on to lift the coveted trophy, his stance on the matter would remain unchanged.
“The Indian team is missing Bumrah, and until he is not in the Indian team, they will miss Bumrah. Even if India wins the trophy, I will still say the same,” he reiterated.
As India gears up for the high-stakes semifinal against Australia, all eyes will be on how the team manages without their star pacer in one of the tournament’s most crucial encounters.
