Most of the names are on the expected lines, while a few big names have been excluded.
India have announced their Squad for Champions Trophy 2025 and the upcoming ODI series against England, with most names on the expected lines. Rohit Sharma will lead the side despite questions about his captaincy credentials.
Shubman Gill will open the innings with Rohit and he is the vice-captain as well. Yashasvi Jaiswal will act as the backup opener in the team. Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul will form the team’s middle order, with Rishabh Pant being the backup for the middle order who can keep the wickets if required.
Among the most premium white-ball players, Hardik Pandya will be the pace-bowling all-rounder, while Ravindra Jadeja will be the spin-bowling all-rounder. Axar Patel will act as Jadeja’s backup. Washington Sundar, who bowls quality off-spin and can bat a bit in the lower order has also been picked in the squad.
The tracks in Dubai can often be spin-friendly, so India can also play Washington Sundar in the XI if the pitch assists slow bowlers. Kuldeep Yadav, who has also been out of competitive cricket for a while, returns to the squad and will be the main wicket-taker in the middle overs as has been the case all these years.
Mohammed Shami, also part of the three-match T20I side against England, has been added to the ODI side and should start in the XI straightaway. Jasprit Bumrah has been added to the Champions Trophy squad but Harshit Rana will be part of the England series in Bumrah’s place as the premier pacer will take time to recover.
Bumrah complained about a back strain and didn’t bowl in the second innings of the Sydney Test but recently brushed aside reports of serious concerns. India would want him to get fit in time and play in the ICC event, even if partially in the crucial stage.
Mohammed Siraj has been dropped from the side for both England series and the Champions Trophy. Meanwhile, Arshdeep Singh, who bowled exceptionally well in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, will be the third speedster.
Also Read: Why is Mohammed Siraj absent in India’s squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025?
Among the most notable omissions are Sanju Samson, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Varun Chakravarthy, who had a case to be included. However, India have more settled options for now and couldn’t squeeze them despite being tempting options.
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, Arshdeep Singh.
NOTE: Harshit Rana included in England series squad for Jasprit Bumrah.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, and YouTube.
