ICC Champions Trophy: SWOT Analysis of India squad

Ready or not, the ICC Champions Trophy has arrived for the teams. A chance to reclaim their ODI glory after narrowly missing out on the 2023 ODI World Cup, India has a lot at stake. The tournament has shaped up ideally for them after a prolonged tussle over the venue. Now scheduled to play their games in Dubai while Pakistan remains the official host, India has formed an interesting squad. The team has stayed largely out of action in the 50-over format since the World Cup. However, a three-match series against England at home has put things in perspective for the side. Though they will be capitalizing on their chances, India is sure to miss Jasprit Bumrah on their tour.

Strengths of India squad for ICC Champions Trophy

The batting order, as observed during the India vs England ODI series, emerges as the strongest aspect of India ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy. The three-match series featured the much-awaited comebacks of team captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. However, the most reliable update is about Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer. Announced as the team's vice-captain ahead of the series, Shubman Gill justified his position with a brilliant return to ODIs. The 25-year-old reinforced his stature in the format with consistently impressive knocks. Getting to 87 and 60 in the first two ODIs, respectively, Gill finally closed in on a century in the final match when he returned to his favorite ground, the Narendra Modi Stadium. The young player was fittingly titled the Player of the Series as India whitewashed the English team.

Additionally, the batting order further strengthens with the presence of in-form Shreyas Iyer in the middle. Not even in India's plans ahead of the series, Iyer got to play the first India vs England ODI when Virat Kohli missed out due to a swollen knee. However, that match was all Iyer needed to showcase his brilliance. Notching a quickfire half-century, the batter cemented his spot for the matches ahead. Moreover, he performed equally impressively in the subsequent fixtures, scoring another half-century in the final match. Other performers include Axar Patel, who impressed at the No. 5 spot, which he earned as India tried to capitalize on the left-right combination in the middle.

Weaknesses

The first on this list is obviously the absence of Jasprit Bumrah in the lineup. Ruled out due to the back injury he picked up in the BGT, Bumrah has left a gaping void in the pace department. Moreover, India's way of handling his unavailability doesn't look promising currently. Instead of calling up Mohammed Siraj, the experienced option, the management has gone for the three-match-old Harshit Rana. Rana joins the pace attack, which further includes Arshdeep Singh, who has played only eight ODIs in his career so far, and Mohammed Shami, still on a comeback trail following his year-long hiatus. Shami didn't look sharp during the India vs England series, adding to concerns over India's pace abilities. However, with the management sternly ignoring Siraj, the relatively inexperienced Rana and Arshdeep are what the team will count on, in addition to all-rounder Hardik Pandya. Moreover, the side needs to hope for a resurgence in Shami's form when the team hits the Dubai turf.

Opportunities

While Shreyas Iyer has already etched a solid credit to his name during the 2023 World Cup, the ICC Champions Trophy provides an opportunity for the batter to reclaim his confirmed spot in the lineup. Moreover, with KL Rahul earning strong backing from coach Gautam Gambhir over Rishabh Pant, the wicketkeeper has a chance to redeem his standing. An impressive outing in Dubai would mean a longer rope for the batter further ahead. Similarly, Axar Patel has a chance to present himself as the next-best all-round prospect for Team India as the management looks for future options after Ravindra Jadeja. Additionally, with a promotion in the batting order due to his left-handed batting abilities, Patel enjoys an opportunity to position himself as a reliable batting option in the lineup.

Threats

India, unfortunately, carries plenty of concerns as they head into the ICC Champions Trophy. Firstly, the side doesn't have happy memories attached to their time in Dubai in an ICC championship. The last time this scenario shaped up, India was knocked out of the 2021 T20I World Cup in the league stage itself. Apart from the psychological aspect, India squad, heavily reliant on their spinners, could struggle in Dubai, which tends to experience dew during the chase. India is carrying five spinners in the 15-member squad, while their pace options look unconvincing.

Another concern would be the form of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. While Rohit came up with a century in the second India vs England ODI and Kohli notched a half-century in Ahmedabad, it remains to be seen whether they can carry this redeemed form to Dubai. Moreover, with Pakistan and Bangladesh in their group, the batters would face a stiff challenge from the spinners, a pain point observed during their series loss to Sri Lanka in 2024, where the Lankan spinners dismantled their lineup. Another instance of this is Kohli's struggle against Adil Rashid, who has claimed him a record 11 times so far.

India squad for ICC Champions Trophy

Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.

Non Travelling substitutes: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj and Shivam Dube.