India announce squads for England ODI series, Champions Trophy

#India #announce #squads #England #ODI #series #Champions #Trophy

Indian captain Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar announced the 15-man squad for the three-match ODI series against England and the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 events.

Sharma and Agarkar held a press conference to officially announce the squad ahead of the tournament in Pakistan and UAE.

One of the main highlights of the squad is the return of fast bowler Mohammad Shami, who last featured in an ODI against Australia during the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Shami’s inclusion has come as a major boost to India’s bowling attack as they prepare for the upcoming big events.

However, uncertainty surrounds Jasprit Bumrah’s selection for Champions Trophy 2025. The fast bowler is currently recovering from a back injury and, as a result, has been left out of the ODI squad for the England series.

In Bumrah’s absence, Harshit Rana has been called in as a replacement.

The final decision of Bumrah’s participation in the Champions Trophy depends on his fitness before the tournament.

In a surprise move, fast bowler Mohammad Siraj and wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson have been dropped from the team. However, Shreyas Iyer and Kuldeep Yadav have returned to the Indian lineup after missing the recent fixtures.

Commenting on Siraj’s exclusion and Arsdeep Singh’s selection, captain Rohit Sharma explained, “Siraj is not there because we wanted Arsdeep to bowl at the back end if Bumrah is not available. New ball, and Arsdeep in the squad. And with Shami, we had no choice but to pick guys who could handle all three aspects of bowling: opening, middle, and death.”

He also highlighted the decision to include four spinners in the squad, stressing the versatility of the players selected.

“It’s not about picking spin bowlers for the sake of it. These are specialist all-rounders like Axar Patel, Vashi Sundar, and Ravindra Jadeja because they can contribute equally with both bat and ball. Sundar is a right-arm spinner. offer the option, Akshar and Jadeja offer left-arm spin, while Kuldeep offers the left-handed Chinaman, who covers all the bases,” Rohit said.

Agarkar, the chief selector, also provided an update on Shami’s fitness, saying: “Shami has played most of Syed Mushtaq Ali’s games and some of Vijay Hazare’s. His inclusion in the T20Is basically makes him faster. There is international cricket to build momentum, and we are hoping that he will be at 100 per cent when it comes to the Champions Trophy matches.”

This eight-team tournament consisting of 15 matches will be held from February 19 to March 9 at three locations in Pakistan and Dubai in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi.

The teams are divided into two groups. Group A includes Pakistan, India, New Zealand and Bangladesh while Group B includes Afghanistan, South Africa, England and Australia.

Hosts Pakistan will take on New Zealand in Karachi on February 19, while a blockbuster clash between arch-rivals Pakistan and India is scheduled for February 23 in Dubai.

Pakistan will host a total of 10 matches in their home country, while four matches including India’s three group stage matches and the first semi-final will be played in Dubai.

The final of the tournament is to be played in Lahore, but if India qualifies, it will also be held in Dubai.

Additionally, a reserve day has also been earmarked for the final clash to take precautions against any weather-related disruptions.

India Squad for Champions Trophy 2025

Rohit Sharma (C), Shibman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Akshar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Arsdeep Singh, Yashaswi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, and Ravindra Jadeja

India squad for ODI series against England

Rohit Sharma (C), Shibman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Akshar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammad Shami, Arsdeep Singh, Yashaswi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, and Ravinder Jadeja