India are placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, New Zealand, and Bangladesh.
India’s cricketing year in 2025 began on a tough note with a 3-1 loss in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and failing to qualify for the World Test Championship final.
Despite these setbacks, the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 presents a golden opportunity for the team to bounce back and win that ODI title that they narrowly missed at home in 2023.
Scheduled from February 19 to March 9, the tournament will be played in Pakistan, but India’s matches are set to take place in Dubai.
India are placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, New Zealand, and Bangladesh. The tournament will serve as a major test of India’s preparedness in the 50-over format, especially given their limited ODI outings in 2024.
India played just three ODIs last year, losing 2-0 to Sri Lanka, as the calendar was dominated by the T20 World Cup and the WTC cycle.
Before the Champions Trophy, India will play a three-match ODI series against England, where senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah are expected to be rested, allowing younger players to showcase their potential.
Since the Asia Cup 2023, India has been relying on a balanced XI that has become the backbone of their ODI setup. In the Champions Trophy, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill are expected to take charge as the opening pair, setting the foundation for the innings.
At number three, Virat Kohli will look to anchor the batting with his experience and consistency. Shreyas Iyer is poised to solidify the middle order at number four, while KL Rahul, who is likely to keep wickets, will bring stability at number five.
Hardik Pandya will provide the much-needed balance at number six with his explosive batting and useful overs as an all-rounder. Ravindra Jadeja, slotting in at seven, adds depth with both bat and ball. Kuldeep Yadav will be the go-to spinner, tasked with controlling the middle overs.
The pace department will be spearheaded by Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj, forming a formidable attack. If Shami is unavailable, Arshdeep Singh could step in, offering variety with his left-arm pace.
(Players like Axar Patel and Rishabh Pant might be used as backups.)
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