Former India opener Aakash Chopra he has selected his Indian team for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy and the previous ODIs series against England. Chopra has also included senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the squad and feels that their experience will be beneficial for the team.
The Champions Trophy squad did not have many surprises except the selection of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Arshdeep Singh. While Jaiswal is yet to play an ODI, Arshdeep has played only 8 ODIs so far despite being a key member of the Indian T20I team.
The team for the 2025 Champions Trophy has a good combination of youth and experience. It also includes Mohammed Shami, who is yet to return to the international community after an operation in early 2024. KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant have been selected as the two wicketkeepers.
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Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been included in Aakash Chopra’s Indian squad for the Champions Trophy
While speaking in a video on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra started from the top and claimed that Rohit Sharma will reach the Champions Trophy despite his recent lackluster run. He backed Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill to be the other two openers in the Champions Trophy squad.
“Rohit Sharma as an opener and captain, no doubt. Since the start of ODI World Cup 2023, he has played 14 innings and scored 754 runs at an average of 54, with 100 years and five half-centuries and a strike rate of almost 130,” he explained Aakash Chopra.
“Shubman Gill’s numbers have not been that good. Since the start of the World Cup, he has played 12 innings, averages 37.4, has not scored a single century, has five half-centuries and a total of 411 runs. Not good. So there is a case for Yashasvi Jaiswal , whether he will be there in the XI or not, he should be in the team.
The cricketer-turned-commentator also backed Virat Kohli as a no-brainer in the squad after the 2023 World Cup ODI thriller and picked Shreyas Iyer as a middle-order batsman over Suryakumar Yadav.
“After that Virat Kohli, there is no doubt about that. He averaged 74 runs in 14 innings and scored three centuries. Even though he didn’t score runs in Sri Lanka, he still averages 74. Imagine what his World Cup would be like ,” remarked Aakash Chopra.
“Suryakumar Yadav is not there, but Shreyas Iyer is. Since the start of the World Cup, he has scored 620 runs in 15 innings, with two centuries, at a strike rate of 112 and an average of 52. Iyer is on fire,” the former India batsman added.
Aakash Chopra did not pick Suryakumar Yadav and Sanja Samson despite their recent superb performances in T20I cricket. Both are vital parts of India’s T20I team but have failed to make a mark in ODIs.
KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant as wicketkeepers for ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Aakash Chopra named KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant as the two wicketkeepers in the team. He feels that Rahul has an excellent record in ODIs as a middle order batsman and can become the team’s first keeper. Chopra also feels that Pant does not boast of an excellent ODI record but will find a place here.
“KL Rahul played after that. Since the start of the 2023 World Cup, he has scored 560 runs at an average of 56 in 14 innings. He has hit a century and three half-centuries. He will also be there in the team. He played as a goalkeeper then and he could play as a goalkeeper now,” said Aakash Chopra.
“Rishabh Pant did not play the World Cup. What is his ODI record? He scored his runs at a strike rate of 106 and an average of 33.5 with one century and five half-centuries. The numbers are not great but he will make the team instead of Ishan Kishan “, he said.
Aakash Chopra picked Hardik Pandya as the only all-round fast bowler in the Champions Trophy squad. Pandya has not played much cricket in recent times and has only featured in India’s T20Is teams. However, he recently started playing the Vijay Hazare Trophy to prepare for the 50-over games.
Strong bowling attack, but depending on fitness
On the bowling front, Aakash Chopra picked three spinners looking at spin-friendly pitches in Dubai. Kuldeep Yadav was selected as the only specialist spinner, while Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel were selected as spin bowling all-rounders.
The fast bowling arsenal looks strong with Jasprit Bumrah leading the pack. Mohammed Shami has also been selected as he is expected to be fully fit ahead of the tournament. Arshdeep Singh is the only surprise pick, but he offers the team a quality left-arm option.
“I say keep three spinners after Hardik Pandya – Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav. I will definitely keep three spinners even though there will be a bit of a problem in Dubai. It will be a bit cold and there will be a bit of humidity. So spin might not be used as much , but still I request you to take all three,” said Aakash Chopra.
“After that, I left out Shardul Thakur. So I have Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami and Arshdeep Singh. Jasprit Bumrah should not be talked about. Mohammed Shami should go 100 per cent if he is fit. He should also play against England “, he added.
If India manage to pick this squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy based on their fitness, they could be strong contenders for the title. However, the fitness of several players remains a concern. While the batting looks more or less settled, the bowling could be affected if any of the top-line bowlers are out.
Jasprit Bumrah was injured in the last Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and it remains to be seen whether he will be fit in time for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Kuldeep Yadav is also returning from injury while Mohammed Shami is yet to play an international match following his surgery.
