There is no place for Karun Nair in India’s squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy; Shubman Gill is the deputy to the captain Rohit Sharma. The newly selected youth, Yashasvi Jaiswal, has been given a place in the squad through selection, which proves the selectors are also looking at the young, talented performers. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami have retained their place in Indian pace bowling alongside Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana. But there is a downside: Mohammed Siraj has been released from the team.
Harshit Rana deserves to be in the list as the chief selector Ajit Agarkar assured that he will be part of the three-match series against England. Rana is expected to replace Bumrah, who is likely to be fitness-troubled enough to bowl in at least the first two games of the series. This decision also proves that the team has always been wary of Bumrah’s fitness, especially as they prepare for the Champions Trophy in the Indian cricket calendar.
The squad combines experience and a young generation, which is very good for any team. As such, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Ravindra Jadeja are valuable assets due to their rich experience in the side to accommodate fresh talent in Jaiswal and Washington Sundar. Although their batting lineup is not so strong, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel add depth to the spin bowling arsenal.
Agarkar said fitness and form should be the basis while naming the squad for the matches. He said that the team’s management is hopeful that Bumrah would recover, but it also has ready contingencies in the form of Rana and the like.
India’s full squad for the England series and the Champions Trophy includes captain Rohit Sharma, vice-captain Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja.
Join our whatsapp group for Latest updates