England suffered a major setback in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 as pacer Brydon Carse has been ruled out for the remainder of the tournament due to a recurring toe injury. Carse, who had been struggling with a blister on his left foot, aggravated the issue during England’s five-wicket defeat to Australia on February 22. Despite attempting to play through the pain, he delivered an expensive spell of 1/69 in seven overs, conceding at 9.85 runs per over, which raised concerns over his fitness.
Carse missed England’s training session on February 24, and after further medical evaluation, he was deemed unfit to continue. The injury initially troubled him during England’s recent white-ball series in India, where he had to sit out the final two ODIs due to stitches on the affected toe. The discomfort persisted into the Champions Trophy, ultimately forcing him out of the competition.
Brydon Carse’s replacement for the Champions Trophy 2025
With Carse ruled out, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed that young leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed has been approved as his official replacement by the ICC Event Technical Committee.
“The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 has approved Rehan Ahmed as a replacement for Brydon Carse in the England squad. Ahmed, who has played six ODIs, was named as a replacement after Carse was ruled out due to an injury to the toe. The replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the player can be officially added to the squad,” the statement added.
The 19-year-old Rehan, who has played six ODIs, comes in to bolster England’s spin attack, which previously relied solely on veteran Adil Rashid. Rehan has an impressive ODI record, picking up 10 wickets at an average of 23.3, and famously took a five-wicket haul on his Test debut against Pakistan in 2022, becoming England’s youngest-ever male Test debutant.
Also READ: England’s group-stage rivals: Evaluating Australia, Afghanistan and South Africa in Champions Trophy 2025
England’s semi-final hopes in jeopardy
England’s campaign in the Champions Trophy is now under immense pressure. After losing their opening match to Australia, they find themselves in a must-win situation. With two group-stage games remaining against Afghanistan and South Africa, Jos Buttler’s side must win both encounters to keep their semi-final hopes alive. With Carse’s absence weakening England’s pace attack, the addition of Rehan could offer a new tactical dimension, particularly in subcontinental conditions where spin plays a crucial role. However, England will need collective brilliance in all departments if they are to turn their campaign around and remain in contention for the knockout stage.
