India will begin their CT campaign on February 20 against Bangladesh in Dubai.
While Bumrah was named in India’s preliminary squad for the Champions Trophy, he failed to make the cut in the final squad which was announced on Tuesday (February 11) night.
Ahead of the tournament, former England cricketer David Lloyd has urged opposition teams to seize the opportunity and target whoever replaces Bumrah in the Indian playing XI.
With Arshdeep Singh touted to be a potential replacement for Bumrah, Lloyd has said the left-arm quick will have to adapt quickly to the 50-overs format to make a difference.
While Arshdeep has established himself as India’s go-to fast bowler in T20Is, he has only played a handful of ODIs so far. In nine appearances, he has picked up 14 wickets at an average of 23.
“It’s a great opportunity for someone to come in, someone who wouldn’t make the team. But you can’t get away from the fact that he (Bumrah) is the best bowler in the world, and if he isn’t playing for you, you’ve got a problem,” said Lloyd on TalkSport Cricket.
“Massive difference – four overs to 10. If you’re the opposition, test him out; really get into him. This is not T20 mate, this is not a little party, you’ve got to come back and come back again’, that will be something he won’t be used to,” he added.
Apart from Arshdeep, Mohammad Shami and Harshit Rana are the other specialist pacers in India’s squad. All-rounder Hardik Pandya is another seam-bowling option in the side.
The Indian contingent, led by Rohit Sharma, on Saturday (February 15) departed for the UAE to take part in the Champions Trophy. While the marquee event is slated to get underway on February 19 in Karachi, the Men in Blue will begin their campaign on February 20 against Bangladesh at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.