With the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, set to take place in Pakistan and Dubai, less than 50 days away, all 8 participating teams have been given a deadline of January 12th to announce their squads for the big event. India’s first match will be against Bangladesh on February 20th in Dubai. Let’s take a look at India’s likely squad for the ICC tournament.
Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma is likely to lead the team and open the batting in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. His record as a captain is much better in shorter formats than in longer formats. His batting performance also reflects this.
Sharma has been a key match-winner in One Day Internationals (ODIs) and recently led India to victory in the T20 World Cup 2024 and the ODI World Cup final last year. He is the only player to score three double centuries in ODIs.
Shubman Gill
After a quiet 2024, Shubman Gill will try to bounce back in the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025. Gill has broken many records in ODIs, including becoming only the 10th player to score a double century. He also finished seventh on the list for most runs in a calendar year in ODIs.
His batting average in ODIs is the same as Kohli’s. Gill is seen as a promising player for Indian cricket and will look to continue his good form in ODIs.
Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is known as the “Chase Master” in white-ball cricket because he can easily chase down tough targets. He is likely to keep his number 3 position in the batting order for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025. Kohli’s record is outstanding. He has played 295 ODIs for India, scored almost 14,000 runs, and has a batting average of over 58.
His great records and past performances make sure he stays in the playing eleven. Kohli had a fantastic performance in the last ODI World Cup, scoring 765 runs in 11 matches, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 673 runs in a single edition (from 2003). He also scored his 50th ODI ton in the same tournament. Kohli was also named Player of the Tournament.
Shreyas Iyer
Iyer has been a dependable middle-order batsman for India, giving the team stability and managing pressure in important moments. His ability to steady the innings and speed up the run rate when needed makes him a key player. Iyer was one of India’s top performers in the 2023 ODI World Cup, scoring 530 runs, including a brilliant 105 runs in the semi-final against New Zealand.
Iyer has a strong technique and is good at playing both spin and pace, making him valuable in any conditions.
Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant missed two major white-ball tournaments last year because of an unfortunate accident that kept him out of the game for over 18 months. After making a strong comeback in Tests with good performances in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Pant will be aiming for a spot in the 15-member squad for the Champions Trophy 2025.
Even though he has been away from the ODI format, Pant is a proven match-winner in any format. He is likely to be called up by the selectors for the Champions Trophy, as left-handed wicket-keeper batsmen are rare and bring a big advantage to the team.
KL Rahul
KL Rahul is likely to bat at number three in the Champions Trophy 2025. He will be playing ODIs again after a long break. The selectors will once again trust his skills and give him a chance. Rahul’s ODI record is impressive. He has played 58 matches, scoring around 3300 runs with an average of 33.
Even though his stats are good enough to secure a spot in the Champions Trophy 2025 team, he has sometimes struggled to play match-winning innings and has been under pressure in tough situations.
Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya is India’s most experienced and reliable all-rounder. He has an impressive record in ODIs. Pandya has played 86 ODIs, scored about 1700 runs with an average of 34, and taken 84 wickets. He will feature in the team as a number 5 batsman and a sixth bowling option.
He will definitely keep his place in the playing eleven, as he was one of the key players in the T20 World Cup 2024. Pandya is known for changing the game with his powerful batting and useful bowling. His all-round skills can have a big impact in tight matches, which is very important in a tournament like the Champions Trophy.
Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja has been a key player for the Indian team since his debut in 2009. He has been a regular member of the Indian ODI team and has made important contributions over the years. Jadeja has scored 2756 runs and taken 220 wickets in 197 ODIs for India. His skills will be important on flat, spinning pitches in Dubai.
Jadeja is one of India’s top all-rounders, offering both batting and bowling skills to the team. His ability to contribute with both bat and ball is very important in a tournament like the Champions Trophy, where being versatile is essential.
Axar Patel
Axar is a dependable all-rounder who can help the team with both batting and bowling. His left-arm spin is very useful, especially in the middle overs, and he can also finish games with the bat if needed.
Axar’s spin bowling works well in conditions where the ball turns. With his all-round abilities, steady performances, and experience, Axar Patel will be a key player for India in the Champions Trophy 2025.
Washington Sundar
Washington Sundar is a promising young cricketer and a perfect replacement for the recently retired Ravichandran Ashwin. Sundar has played 22 ODIs, taking 23 wickets and scoring 315 runs.
While his batting stats may not show it, he is more than capable of scoring important runs in the lower order and he has shown his batting skills in Australia in recent BGT.
Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah is easily India’s best fast bowler in all formats, and if he’s fully fit, he will be a guaranteed choice for the team. Bumrah got injured during the fifth test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which stopped him from bowling in the final innings.
He is expected to fully recover before the Champions Trophy 2025 and will be crucial if India wants to win the tournament. India needs Bumrah’s services, as he leads the bowling attack and always performs in pressure situations.
Arshdeep Singh
Arshdeep Singh hasn’t played an ODI yet, but he is part of the squad for the series against England at home. Arshdeep has been a key performer for India in T20s, taking wickets early in the innings.
Left-arm seam bowlers are rare in India, and adding Singh to the bowling attack will bring much-needed variety to the team. Arshdeep can bowl in the early overs, middle overs, and even in the final stages of the innings.
Mohammed Siraj
Mohammed Siraj has been an important player for the Indian team for a while, providing a strong seam bowling option. Siraj is skilled at seam bowling and can take advantage of the cracks on the Dubai pitches to give India crucial breakthroughs in the middle overs.
He is likely to be included in the 15-member squad for the Champions Trophy 2025, but his spot in the playing eleven is still unsure.
Mohammed Shami
Mohammed Shami is likely to be called up for the Champions Trophy 2025. The Indian fast bowler was out of action for over a year after a serious leg injury but has made his comeback in the Ranji Trophy. A fully fit and in-form Shami is a big threat to any batting lineup.
Shami also missed the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy due to injury. His performance in the last ODI World Cup was incredible, he wreaked through every batting lineup in the tournament.
Kuldeep Yadav
The left-arm Chinaman could be India’s key to winning the Champions Trophy 2025. Kuldeep Yadav can make the most of the flat, dry pitches in Dubai with his spin bowling skills. When he’s in good form, Yadav can confuse even the best batsmen.
He picked 15 wickets in the ODI World Cup 2023.
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Jasir Basharat is a cricket enthusiast capturing the heart of the game through insightful analysis and storytelling sharing his passion for the sport through engaging narratives. He is a business graduate from University of Kashmir.
