With Champions Trophy 2025 right around the corner following a dismal showing in the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 which they lost 1-3 to Australia, India are likely to tread carefully with their white-ball picks.
Lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness will be monitored closely in the build up to the Champions Trophy beginning on February 19. Bumrah didn’t take to the field on the third day of the fifth Test at Sydney after suffering back spasms. Bumrah is likely to play just one ODI against England in Ahmedabad on February 12 before taking off for the Champions Trophy.
There have been many questions raised over the futures of skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli following their red-ball performances Down Under. Kohli managed to score 190 runs from nine innings in the series while captain Rohit was dropped from the playing XI for the Sydney Test after scoring just 31 runs from five innings.
Also Read: What India’s Best XI for the Champions Trophy 2025 Looks Like
However, a report by Revsportz suggests that this will not be affecting their chances to play in the ODI format Champions Trophy.
However, the silver lining to the series was the emergence of allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy who made an impressive 114 amid a batting collapse in the fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground while amassing 298 runs from nine innings in the series.
Multiple reports suggested that the 21-year-old’s ability to bowl medium pace coupled with his impressive batting might land him a place in the 15-player squad for the Champions Trophy.
Nitish had proven his limited-overs prowess in the T20I series against Bangladesh in October last year and in the IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir are set to announce the squad on January 12. India, who are in Group A alongside Pakistan, Bangladesh and New Zealand, will play their first match against Bangladesh on February 20 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
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