India Confirmed Squad for 2025 ICC Champions Trophy
by Devesh Jaganath | by Cydias Aujard
India Announce Star-Studded Lineup for Champions Trophy
The ICC Champions Trophy will return to the cricketing calendar this month for the first time since 2017. The tournament will be hosted by defending champions Pakistan, but last month the ICC announced a hybrid model for the event that will see India’s matches take place in Dubai due to the longstanding political tensions between the Ind-Pak governments.
The Men in Blue have been drawn into group A and will face Bangladesh in their opening match of the competition, but all eyes will be locked on their marquee clash against the Shaheens on February 23. India’s final group-stage match will be against New Zealand, and should they qualify for the semi-final and final, their knockout matches will also be played in UAE. If India does not qualify for the final, the match will take place in Lahore as originally scheduled.
Rohit Sharma returns to captain the squad after recovering from injury, while Shubman Gill steps in as the new vice-captain of the 50-over side. The batting lineup is largely unchanged from the team that reached the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup, with Rishabh Pant making his return to the setup, while Yashasvi Jaiswal has been selected as the backup opener, and KL Rahul comes in as the alternate wicket-keeper option.
With the ball, paceman Jasprit Bumrah is recovering from a back injury but is included in the squad, though his inclusion in the Champions Trophy matches will be contingent on his fitness. Mohammed Shami, who recently returned to the Indian team for the T20Is against England, has also been included in the squad. Gautam Gambhir’s spin options include Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja.
India Confirmed Squad and Schedule for 2025 Champions Trophy
India team: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami.
- Bangladesh vs India - (Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai | Feb 20, 09:00)
- Pakistan vs India - (Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai | Feb 23, 09:00)
- New Zealand vs India - (Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai | March 4, 09:00)
