India’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Squad Announcement HIGHLIGHTS: Jasprit Bumrah named in India squad

“Shubman was VC in Sri Lanka anyway. I won't read too much into it. A lot of the feedback comes from the dressing room. You also want to keep your options open. One of the challenges is that not many are leading their state teams nowadays, Axar has beebn leading the state team so nothing much to look into there but you are always on the lookout for anyone who has got some leadership qualities,” says Agarkar.

"Who told you about these rules. Has it come from the official handle of the BCCI? Let it come officially," says Rohit Sharma about the new BCCI rules for players while they are on tour. 

“We picked Jaiswal on the basis of what he has shown in the last few months despite not playing ODI cricket. He has been picked on potential and sometimes you have to do that. In that some players will miss out. Very unlucky but you can't please everyone. You try and make the best team to win games in different situations and I feel with these guys you can have that,” says Rohit.

"We’re not sure about Bumrah, whether he will play or not. So we wanted someone who can bowl up front and at the back. As for Shami, what he does with the new ball. It’s an unfortunate thing he had to miss out. But we had no other option than to select guys appropriate for the designated roles. Arshdeep hasn’t played ODIs that much but he’s been around the white-ball cricket for quite a while now. So we’re not worried about inexperience. You can’t please everyone. At the end of the day, you pick the team that can win you games."

I don't think it's a diktat, it is one of the things BCCI has put forward, says Agarkar on BCCI's 10-point guidelines for contracted players

Shubman Gill is appointed as vice-captain for the Champions Trophy and England ODIs

Mohammed Siraj has not been picked for the Champions Trophy

Rohit Sharma to play Ranji Trophy game for Mumbai. When he was asked about it. He said: “I will."

“Last 6-7 years, if you look at our calendar, we haven't been sitting home for 45 days when cricket is going on. You do get time when IPL finishes when nothing happens after that. Our domestic season begins in October, ends till March. Guys who are not playing all formats and when there's domestic cricket happening, they can play. For me personally, Since I've started playing Test cricket regularly, you hardly get time. When you play international cricket regularly, you need time off, just to refresh. Nobody takes it for granted.”

Most of the guys will be playing in the Ranji Trophy shortly unless they are injured, says Ajit Agarkar.

Those are special performances. We did have a chat, no doubt. at the moment to find spot in this team is very difficult. look at the guys who have been picked, all average in excess of 40.

It would have been nicer if BCCI… it would be better if it comes from medical department.

Harshit Rana will be a part of England series

Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (vice captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra jadeja

Here they are. Both Ajit Agarkar and Rohit Sharma have arrived for the press conference. 

Selection meeting is over. Press conference to starting any moment now. 

You can check our Vijay Hazare Trophy final blog between Vidarbha and Karnataka here.

The press conference was supposed to start at 12:30 PM IST and its already 13:55 PM IST now. It has already been delayed by one and half hours. Stay tuned for further updates. 

Meeting is still on, pings Devendra Pandey. 

Mihir Vasavda from the venue: The selection meeting is still on, press conference is delayed further.

Here is Devendra Pandey with the image from the venue. 

Press conference delayed a bit, pings Mihir Vasavda from the venue. 

India will play its group-stage games on February 20, February 23 and March 2. The semifinals will be held on March 4 and 5, followed by the final on March 9.

Rohit Sharma and Ajit Agarkar have arrived at the BCCI HQ for the press conference.  

India captain Rohit Sharma and Ajit Agarkar’s press conference will start soon.

Temba Bavuma, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram , David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, and Rassie van der Dussen

Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood,

Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Malik, Naveed Zadran

Pat Cummins (c), Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young.

Nazmul Hossain Shanto (c), Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, MD Mahmud Ullah, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossai Emon, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana.

Gautam Gambhir needs to understand that what worked with him at Kolkata Knight Riders can’t necessarily be implemented when he is with the Indian team. He would have his reasons to pick all-rounders but Test matches in Australia have been won with specialists in the past. Besides, unlike in Indian Premier League, national team squads don’t have a global pool to pick players of your choice that fit into your favourite template.

Mohammed Shami last played for India in the 2023 World Cup final against Australia in Ahmedabad, after which he was sidelined because of an ankle injury that needed surgery. The 34-year-old made a return to cricket for the Ranji Trophy and also played in the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and is playing the ongoing 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy for Bengal. However, he didn’t make it for India’s disastrous tour of Australia because of swelling of the knee on his return to domestic cricket. For the T20 series at home against England, Shami will join a squad that has Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Nitish Reddy and Hardik Pandya as the other seamers.

Jasprit Bumrah is likely to miss the group stage of next month’s Champions Trophy due to health reasons. According to a BCCI source, Bumrah is expected to be fully fit only by the first week of March. “He (Bumrah) will be going to NCA for his rehabilitation. The initial report says he doesn’t have a fracture but has swelling on his back. So the NCA will monitor his recovery and he will be there for three weeks. But even after that, he will have to play a match or two, even if they are practice games organised to check his match fitness,” the source told The Indian Express.

The past few weeks have been tumultuous for Rohit Sharma. He managed just 31 runs across three Tests during his time Down Under and was forced to drop himself from the series-deciding fifth and final Test in Sydney due to his poor form. Rohit handed over the leadership duties to Jasprit Bumrah in that game, sparking widespread speculations about his future. However, in an interview to the host broadcaster of the series, Rohit asserted that he was not going anywhere.

Karun Nair's exploits in the Vijay Hazare Trophy was on Friday termed "nothing short of extraordinary" by batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, who urged the Vidarbha skipper to "keep going." Nair has been on a roll in India's premier 50-over domestic competition, averaging a mind-boggling 752 in seven innings after amassing 752 runs with five centuries and one fifty. "Scoring 752 runs in 7 innings with 5 centuries is nothing short of extraordinary, @karun126," Tendulkar wrote on X. "Performances like these don't just happen, they come from immense focus and hard work. Keep going strong and make every opportunity count!" he added.

The selectors will also seek clarity on star wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav's fitness, as he has been recuperating from a long-standing groin injury. Kuldeep had shared videos of him bowling in his social media accounts, and that might be counted as a good sign ahead of the selection meeting.

Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh seems straightforward and if Hardik Pandya is available then only two may make it to the XI as India have been looking to find the right balance. Apart from batting depth, they are also seeking six bowling options so there could be spots for just three pacers, unless they compromise on other spots.

If Kuldeep Yadav is available, it is a straightforward call. But with the left-arm wrist-spinner still recovering from sports hernia it remains to be seen whether he would be match-ready before the Champions Trophy. It is understood that for Kuldeep to be in contention, he has to feature in the ODIs against England to prove his fitness. If not, then IPL will be the realistic target for his comeback. In that case, Varun could emerge as an alternate pick. Apart from being among wickets in the IPL, he has evolved into more than just a mystery spinner. The conditions will also suit him.

Although Hardik Pandya hasn’t played an ODI since Bangladesh in the 2023 World Cup, he is in line for a comeback. In three group-stage games of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he bowled 7,7 & 6 overs, which shows fitness isn’t an issue. He also had an excellent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign. So the selectors would be tempted to include him. For the two spinners; spot, Axar and Washington seem to be the perfect fit as they can be used as floaters as well.

In the ODIs against Sri Lanka, KL Rahul started before Pant took his spot in the final match. All said and done, Pant is yet to cement his spot in this format. He will definitely be in the squad, but whether he is the first-choice wicketkeeper or not is a decision the selectors and the team-management should take before the tournament starts to avoid any chaos.

The three were the backbone of India’s extraordinary run to the final of the 2023 World Cup. The format is Kohli’s bread and butter, Shreyas and Rahul are versatile, and hence sought-after. With their experience and form the selectors may not feel necessary to overlook them for the eight-team event.

Given his recent form, Yashasvi Jaiswal is certain to get a call-up and could make his debut during the ODIs against England. It means Shubman Gill, who has been a key-figure in this format, may end up losing his spot to the left-hander. The other option is to make Shubman Gill play at No 3, but that would mean India have to push their greatest No 3 to the middle-order, which the selectors might not ideally prefer. With three openers set to be part of the squad, Gill seems a certainty, but whether he remains a guaranteed starter is the question.

India and Pakistan last met in the 2024 ICC men’s T20 World Cup in New York. The Men in Blue scripted a dramatic six-run win before marching on to clinch the title in Barbados. Their last ODI meeting occurred during the 2023 Cricket World Cup when India beat Pakistan by seven wickets at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. India entered their fourth final in the World Cup, but fell before eventual winners Australia who recorded their sixth title in Ahmedabad.

Karun Nair has notched up scores of 112, 44, 163, 111, 112, 122 and 88, all but one unbeaten knocks, in his last seven batting innings and his tally now stands at 752 runs at a stunning average of 752. It is the most by a captain in the history of Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT), surpassing Maharashtra skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad's tally of 660 runs made during the 2022-23 season. Nair also has a chance to overhaul Narayan Jagadeesan's record for the most runs scored in a single season of the VHT -- 830 runs during the 2022-23 edition. Another heavy score could also further brighten Nair's chances of finding a place in India's one-day side, at least for the home ODIs against England.

The Champions Trophy is marking a return to the international calendar for the first time in eight years after hosts Pakistan won the previous edition held in England in 2017. Pakistan defeated India by 180 runs in the final at the Oval, four years after India lifted the title over hosts England in 2013.

India are placed in Group A with Pakistan, Bangladesh and New Zealand, will now have their matches held in Dubai.  Team India will open their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign against Bangladesh in Dubai on February 20. They will next take on Pakistan on February 23 and New Zealand on March 2 in the group stage.

There are plenty of talking points after the 15-member India squad was picked for the Champions Trophy. Expect Rohit Sharma and Ajit Agarkar to address these issues: 

1. Jasprit Bumrah's fitness update

2. Mohammed Shami's availability 

3. Will Hardik Pandya bowl? 

4. Who will be the first-choice wicketkeeper? 

5. Will India pick mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy?

Indian Cricket Team captain Rohit Sharma and Chairman of Senior Selection Committee for BCCI Ajit Agarkar will address a press conference today at the BCCI HQ in Mumbai in some time to discuss the 15-member Indian team which has been picked for the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the UAE next month. India will play all their matches in Dubai. 

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the press conference to address questions surrounding the Indian team picked for the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the UAE.