ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Strongest India playing 11

There were not much of surprises in the 15-member India squad announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday for the upcoming edition of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Despite being out of form in the longest format of the game, the trio of skipper Rohit Sharma, vice-captain Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli were always expected to be part of the team for the major event scheduled to begin next month. However, there is still a lot of suspense over the availability of speedster Jasprit Bumrah due to his fitness issues despite being named in the India ODI squad both for the Champions Trophy 2025 and India vs England three-match ODI series. In this blog post, we will pick the strongest India playing XI for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. 

ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Ravindra Jadeja dropped from India playing XI?

After being officially announced as the vice-captain, there should not be any confusion that skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill will open the batting for India in their first match of the 50-overs competition scheduled to take place against Bangladesh on 20 February, 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai. On the other hand, the in-form Yashasvi Jaiswal might get a game in the upcoming IND vs ENG three-match ODI series starting from 6 February, 2025. There should be no doubt that Virat Kohli will bat at the number three position as the most vital clog in this batting line-up. 

Despite not doing well in the ODI series against Sri Lanka, Shreyas Iyer will start at number four in the England ODIs and ICC Champions Trophy 2025. There can be a good debate over the choice of wicket-keeper batter in this India playing XI between KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant. With five right-handers set to be part of this batting line-up, left-handed Pant might be front-runner and the first-choice wicket-keeper in the side as he has the ability to play an impactful innings in the middle-order during pressure situations. 

The national selectors have named as many as four spin bowling options in this 15-member squad, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav. With the pitches in Dubai expected to be on the slower side to a great extent, three spinners are expected to be part of the India playing 11 and left-arm leggie Kuldeep is confirmed to be one of them. It will be very difficult for the team management, however, one of the two left-arm spinners, Axar or Jadeja will have to warm the bench as Washington Sundar becomes a certainty being the lone off-spinner. While looking at the current form in white-ball cricket, Axar might be ahead Jadeja. 

Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh has played as many as 8 ODI matches so far having picked up a total of 12 wickets at an average of 24.08 and an economy of 5.06. In case both the senior fast bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami are fully fit, then they are the obvious selections alongside Hardik Pandya as the seam bowling all-rounder who will also bat in the middle-order. Team India is expected to accomodate only two specialist fast bowlers alongside Pandya in the playing XI and thus, Arshdeep is likely to be benched. 

Strongest India playing 11

Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah. 

India squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), 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.

India's squad for the #ChampionsTrophy 2025 announced! 💪 💪

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— BCCI (@BCCI) January 18, 2025