Former India coach Ravi Shastri believes that bringing Jasprit Bumrah back to play cricket without keeping the bigger picture in mind could result in career suicide for the fast bowler.

Bumrah, out of action since the final day of the fifth Test between India and Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground last month, was added to India's squad that was picked for the England ODIs and the Champions Trophy, although his participation was always subject to fitness. However, BCCI's removal of Bumrah from the England ODIs without much noise raises some serious doubts about his recovery and overall fitness.

Still, irrespective of Bumrah's progress, Shastri wants the decision-makers within Team India to think long-term. In 2022, when Bumrah was rushed back to play two T20Is against Australia ahead of the T20 World Cup, it only worsened his condition, sidelining 'BOOM' for the next 10-odd months. That is a mistake India must avoid, insists Shastri.

"I think it's high risk. There's too much big cricket coming up for India. At this stage of his [Bumrah's] career, I think he's too precious to be just called on for one game out of the blue and asked to deliver. The expectations will be so much. They'll think that he'll come in straight away and set the world on fire. It's never that easy when you come back from injury," Shastri said on the ICC Review Show.

And now comes the big one. If Bumrah is to unfortunately miss the Champions Trophy, Shastri reckons it will have severe repercussions on the team's chances to go all the way. Bumrah was one of the key factors behind India's stellar run in the 2023 World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup - which they won. Who can forget Bumrah's game-changing final two overs, where he gave away just six runs in his last two overs and dismissed Marco Jansen. Virat Kohli called Bumrah a national treasure, a thought that Shastri rightly replicated here, as he mentioned that without Bumrah, India's chances of winning the Champions Trophy not only reduce, but reduce significantly.

Without Bumrah, India's chances of winning Champions Trophy, 'literally' down by 30-35 percent

"Bumrah not fit will reduce India's chances [of winning the Champions Trophy] by 30 percent, literally by 30-35 percent," Shastri said. With a fully fit Bumrah playing, you are guaranteed of those death overs. It would've been a different ball game altogether," he added.

Bumrah was the leading wicket-taker in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, finishing with 32 of them. Bumrah could have built on it had he not injured his back and be forced out of action in the final innings of the series.