India will head into the Champions Trophy without their pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, but head coach Gautam Gambhir remains unfazed, viewing the setback as an opportunity for others to shine.
With the tournament set to begin on February 19, Gambhir has backed young pacers Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh, along with the experienced Mohammed Shami, to step up in Bumrah’s absence.
Bumrah, who played a decisive role in India's T20 World Cup win last year with 15 wickets including a vital spell in the final, has been ruled out of the eight-team event which begins on February 19 owing to a nagging back problem.
"Someone missing out opportunity could be a great opportunity for someone else as well, that is how sport goes. Hopefully, these guys (Rana, Arshdeep and Mohammed Shami) can deliver and put their hand up and do the job for the team," he said.
"...it's a great opportunity for them to try and deliver for the country, (it is) as simple as it can get. What we don't have, we don't have. What we have is what we have, and we're going to try and go with a very clear mind," he added.
Bumrah's replacement, Rana, has done reasonably well and was drafted into the Champions Trophy squad on Tuesday night.
"I think guys have shown some really good signs. Harshit has come along really well. Arsh (Arshdeep) was really good today (Wednesday) as well. Obviously, you would always miss a bowler like Jasprit Bumrah," Gambhir said.
"But then, it is always good to have someone like Mohammed Shami back with his experience and quality."
When asked if Bumrah's absence will give opposition teams any psychological advantage over India, Gambhir said, "We can't help it."
"If he's not available, he's not available. If he's injured, he's injured," Gambhir said.
"Whether it's me, (or) whether it's the captain, we can't do much about it. We know that he's an important factor, but as I just mentioned, people like Harshit, Arsh (and) Mohammed Shami, all these guys will put their hand up."
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