India and Pakistan will square off in Dubai on February 23.
The eight-team tournament is slated to get underway on February 19 in Karachi, while the marquee India versus Pakistan fixture will be played in Dubai on February 23.
India are sweating over the fitness of Bumrah ahead of the Champions Trophy. The right-arm quick has been dealing with a back issue since the fifth and final BGT Test against Australia in Sydney last month.
While Bumrah has been named in India's Champions Trophy squad, his participation in the showpiece event depends on the outcome of the scans and assessment at the National Cricket Academy this week.
However, Aaqib expressed little concern about the fast bowler's potential presence in India's playing XI for the Pakistan game.
"They should be worried about Bumrah's fitness. When you play in the Champions Trophy, the most beautiful thing about it is you can't take any team lightly. The top eight best teams are playing. If any team has a bowler like Bumrah, it is a plus point. But it is not like we will plan everything around him," Aaqib told reporters.
During the squad announcement presser last month, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar had pinned his hopes on Bumrah’s return in the third and final ODI against England.
However, the ace pacer’s name didn’t feature in India’s revised squad for the England series which the BCCI shared on February 4 with spinner Varun Chakaravarthy being the additional inclusion, fueling further concerns about his Champions Trophy participation.
On the eve of the first ODI against England in Nagpur, India skipper Rohit Sharma didn’t rule out the possibility of Bumrah's return next week but revealed that the team management is yet to receive an official update on his fitness.
"Jasprit, we are waiting on some update about his scans and stuff, which was due to happen in some days. Once we get that scan, we will be able to give you more clarity on where he stands right now," Rohit told reporters.
Jasprit Bumrah's stellar showing across formats in 2024 earned him the ICC Cricketer of the Year and Test Cricketer of the Year awards.