ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Suresh Raina predicts India playing XI

Suresh Raina made some bold decisions while selecting India’s playing XI for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, leaving out experienced players KL Rahul and Mohammed Shami, both of whom had mixed performances during the recent ODI series against England. KL Rahul, who had been one of the mainstays in India’s middle order, was moved down to No. 6 in the batting order during the first two matches of the series. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get going and managed just 12 runs. However, in the third ODI, Rahul was promoted to No. 5 and responded with a crucial cameo of 40 runs off 29 balls.

Despite this performance, Raina and the management opted to leave Rahul out of the XI for the Champions Trophy, reflecting concerns about his consistency in the recent series. On the other hand, Mohammed Shami played the first two ODIs but was rested for the third. The 34-year-old pacer picked up just two wickets in the series, with an average of 52 and an economy rate of 6.57. Shami had returned to international cricket after a long injury layoff, and experts believe he will regain his rhythm with more match practice. Despite his struggles, he remains a key contender for a place in the final Champions Trophy squad.

Suresh Raina made the tough call of leaving out experienced players KL Rahul, Mohammed Shami, Washington Sundar, and Varun Chakravarthy from his playing XI for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Despite their experience and potential, none of them could find a spot in the final squad due to various reasons, including inconsistent performances in the recent series against England.

Raina, who was part of India’s victorious 2013 Champions Trophy team, highlighted that Kuldeep Yadav will play a key role in India’s campaign. The left-arm wrist spinner, known for his ability to create pressure and pick wickets, is expected to be one of the focal points of India’s bowling attack. Kuldeep’s craftiness and experience will provide balance to the team, especially in tight matches during the tournament.

While the omissions of Rahul, Shami, Sundar, and Chakravarthy were surprising, Raina’s decision reflects his belief in the players who can deliver consistent performances in high-pressure situations. As the tournament approaches, the focus now shifts to how these choices play out, with India aiming to reclaim the Champions Trophy after a gap of over a decade.

"Kuldeep Yadav is going to be very important because Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja contain well in the middle overs, bowling stump to stump; and then Kuldeep can bring in his mystery spin, particularly against Pakistan who play the sweep shot well...New Zealand have a lot of left-handers. The kind of pressure Kuldeep can create and force the batters to go for the big shot, it can lead to wickets," stated former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina. 

Suresh Raina's India playing XI for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (WK), Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav.