India are set to take a final decision on Jasprit Bumrah's participation in the Champions Trophy on February 11, the deadline for submission of the final squads to the ICC, as uncertainty lingers over his fitness.
ESPNcricinfo has learned that Bumrah has had a scan on his back at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru recently. The BCCI's medical staff will now coordinate with the selectors and the India team management before the decision is taken.
Bumrah was included in the provisional 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy announced on January 18, but hasn't been able to play a part in the ODI series against England, India's last fixtures before the tournament begins on February 19. While it was hoped that he would be able to play the third ODI in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, Bumrah has travelled to Bengaluru instead.
In January, while announcing the provisional squad for the Champions Trophy, chief selector Ajit Agarkar had said that based on information provided by the BCCI medical staff at the time, Bumrah was not "likely to be fit for the first couple of games" of the England ODI series. Agarkar had said that Bumrah was "asked to offload for five weeks" from bowling, before undergoing fresh scans on his back in first week of February.
Bumrah has not played a match since he was unable to bowl in Australia's second innings of the Sydney Test in early January. It is understood he had a stress reaction in his back, which required five weeks of rest.
If India feel Bumrah is unlikely to play any part in the Champions Trophy, they could replace him with Harshit Rana, who played the first two ODIs against England. But if there is a chance Bumrah could be available in the later stages of the tournament, India could choose to keep him in the 15 and replace him later subject to ICC approvals. After February 11, any replacement needs the approval of the tournament's technical committee.
India are in Group A of the Champions Trophy along with Pakistan, Bangladesh and New Zealand and will play all their matches in Dubai after not being given permission to travel to Pakistan - the official host of the tournament - by the Indian government. They begin their campaign against Bangladesh on February 20, before playing Pakistan on February 23 and New Zealand on March 2.