A couple of key players have been axed, while some have been a surprise due to their inclusion.
After much anticipation, India’s squad for the Champions Trophy 2025 is out. Most key players from the World Cup 2023 retain their places since they are settled, so there was no reason to tinker with the personnel.
However, a few surprises about including and omitting a few players have also become a talking point. A couple of key players have been axed, while some have been a surprise due to their inclusion.
We look at four key absentees in India’s Champions Trophy 2025 squad.
Sanju Samson’s recent heroics in the T20I arena made him a solid contender to find a spot in the 50-over format. However, he remains absent from the side, the biggest reason being his unavailability in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He reportedly made himself available from the second round but wasn’t considered by Kerala.
There were reports about BCCI’s investigation on his matter, but no concrete conclusion emerged. He has done immensely well in his short ODI career, averaging 56.66 and hitting three fifties and a century. Eventually, Rishabh Pant, who also has a fine ODI record, got the nod ahead of Samson.
Also Read: Why is Mohammed Siraj absent in India’s squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025?
Nitish Kumar Reddy has had a fabulous start to his international career, impressing immediately in T20I and Test formats. Despite playing his maiden Test series, Nitish was unfazed and churned out several quality knocks throughout the tour. Even though he has played only a few matches, his T20I record is boastful.
Hardik Pandya is injury-prone and can crumble at times, so there might be a temptation to include Nitish. However, India instead selected an additional spin-bowling all-rounder, which left no place for Nitish. He would have been a useful addition, but the team management had other plans.
The biggest surprise coming out from the squad was Mohammed Siraj’s exclusion. He has been one of the mainstays in the ODI side recently and has taken ample wickets. He was India’s premium new-ball bowler who would move the new ball and make early inroads.
However, the team instead chose Arshdeep Singh, who might be a new-ball bowler in the tournament. He was in dangerous form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, taking plenty of new-ball wickets. However, given his previous experience and ability in this format, Siraj could have been preferred.
Varun Chakravarthy was another tempting case, which selectors must have discussed before the announcement. He has been unplayable since his return to the T20I setup and has taken wickets for fun, including in an away series against South Africa. His craft is not limited to the shortest format; he can be equally efficient in the 50-over contests.
However, the team already had Kuldeep Yadav, the best wrist spinner in the country. Therefore, they went for three finger spinners who could contribute with the willow. Hence, the selectors couldn’t make a place for Varun despite his superior wicket-taking abilities.
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