India squad for ICC Champions Trophy likely to be announced by January 12

No matter how heavy the setback, India will need to leave the Border Gavaskar Trophy disappointment behind and prepare for the ICC Champions Trophy. The marquee event returns on February 19, marking its comeback after 2017, when Pakistan defeated India to claim the ICC title. It's no secret that the Indian team has struggled in the Test format, enduring heartbreaking losses against New Zealand and Australia. The 2025 WTC cycle, for which India failed to qualify, will be the first that the team misses since the 2021 WTC Championship. With Test success slipping out of their grasp, the ICC Champions Trophy is being seen as a potential saving grace for India.

BCCI intends to lock the India squad for ICC Champions Trophy soon

Before ICC Champions Trophy commences in February, India will host England for a series of five T20Is and three ODIs, beginning on January 22. However, the immediate spotlight will fall on the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee, which faces the critical task of finalizing India’s provisional 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy. The deadline for submission is January 12, though teams will have the flexibility to make adjustments until February 13. It will be up to see if the management counts in the performances from the Vijay Hazare Trophy, headlined by commanding performances of Shreyas Iyer and Ruturaj Gaikwad.

"All teams need to submit their provisional squads by January 12 but (are) allowed to make changes till February 13. It is up to the teams whether they want to announce the squad or or not as the International Cricket Council (ICC) will release the submitted squads only on February 13," an ICC official was reported informing.

The reports further update that Jasprit Bumrah, who is dealing with a back spasm following a demanding run in the Border Gavaskar Trophy down under, is likely to be named vice-captain of the team, assisting Rohit Sharma in the Champions Trophy. This decision indicates that the management intends to overlook Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul for the role. Pandya and Rahul served as vice-captains when India last participated in an ODI ICC event, the 2023 World Cup. Rahul stepped into the role after Pandya was ruled out of the tournament due to an ankle injury. However, with a remarkable performance in the BGT, where he captained India to victory in the Perth Test, Bumrah appears to have outperformed Rahul and Pandya in the race for the leadership position.