Predicted India squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025

There is a significant amount of uncertainty regarding the prospects for selection in the India squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The only certain picks in the team, irrespective of their current forms, are skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Jasprit Bumrah, rightfully touted as the carrier of India's victory hopes across formats, remains a crucial element. However, his participation is subject to an on-time recovery from the back spasm he picked up after the relentless grind across the five Tests in the recently concluded Border Gavaskar Trophy. Beyond these three, none of the other names have currently acquired any confirmation about where they stand in the pecking order.

Frontrunners for selection in the India squad for ICC Champions Trophy

The ICC Champions Trophy is slated to start on February 19 in Pakistan, whereas India plays its first match on February 20 against Bangladesh in Dubai. Meanwhile, the ICC has set January 12 as the deadline for participants to announce their respective squads. India, fresh off their 1-3 defeat in the Border Gavaskar Trophy, faces a heavy task in finalizing the squad for the marquee event. India has not played an ODI since they lost the ODI series to Sri Lanka back in July 2024. Moreover, the Sri Lanka tour was their sole ODI assignment following the ICC ODI World Cup in 2023. Their recent performances, especially in the BGT, have set a sour tone regarding the form of many players in the combination, including captain Rohit Sharma and former captain Virat Kohli.

Moreover, with the last ODI being so far back in time, the selection panel needs to sort among multiple prospects for the India squad. Latest reports suggest that Yashasvi Jaiswal will be added to the squad as a backup opener. However, there remains a significant chance that Jaiswal, with his impressive outings in Tests, can edge past Shubman Gill to earn his debut cap in the 50-over format. Furthermore, a lot of eyes will be on the board to see if the red-hot form of Shreyas Iyer in the Vijay Hazare Trophy will move them to call the middle-order batter into the India squad.

Another tussle is to sort out the wicket-keeping option for the ICC Champions Trophy. If reports are to be believed, the BCCI has already looked past Sanju Samson. The contest now remains between Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul. As it stands, Rishabh Pant is leading the race for selection over KL Rahul, who served as India's first-choice wicket-keeper in the 2023 ODI World Cup.

An update about seamer Mohammed Shami is still awaited. The entirety of the Border Gavaskar Trophy fared without Shami recovering fully from his injury. However, even with Shami out of the scene for a year, the ace seamer remains a crucial element in the combination. Beyond Shami, Jasprit Bumrah is also tending to his back spasm, with no clarity on when he could be ready to return to the game. Though the Champions Trophy lies ahead in the plan, Bumrah is most likely to miss the entirety of the white-ball series against England. Another injury concern looms around the availability of spinner Kuldeep Yadav.

The spinner underwent groin surgery in November 2024 and has not resumed bowling since October, making his participation in the tournament highly uncertain. Other players under consideration for the squad include Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, and Axar Patel, who could play crucial roles in India’s campaign. In another update, Ravindra Jadeja is likely to be sidelined from the India squad for the Champions Trophy, while pace all-rounder Hardik Pandya remains certain to play. Choosing between Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal for the opening position and deciding between Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul will be the main puzzles to solve for the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee.

Moreover, if Jasprit Bumrah recovers in time for the ICC Champions Trophy, the seamer is likely to earn vice-captaincy duties for the India squad. Following the appointment of Gautam Gambhir as the head coach, Shubman Gill was named the white-ball vice-captain of India. However, updates suggest that the board is keen to bank on Bumrah’s experience for the marquee event, especially after his impressive show in the BGT, where he led the team to victory in the Perth Test.

Predicted India squad for ICC Champions Trophy

Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami