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The 31-year-old cricketer last played an ODI match for India on November 19, 2023, against Australia during the 2023 ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad.
31-year-old star likely to be Rohit Sharma’s deputy in Champions Trophy 2025. (Picture Credit: X/@BCCI, X/@TheRealPCB)
After the conclusion of the almost two-month-long Test tour of Australia, which ended in a 1-3 series defeat on Sunday (January 5), the Indian men’s cricket team will shift its focus to white-ball cricket now. India will face England in a five-match T20I series that starts on January 22 in Kolkata, and then the two teams will play each other in a three-match ODI series. The three 50-over matches will help India prepare for the 2025 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy, which is set to start on February 19.
India will not travel to Pakistan for the ICC event and instead will play its matches in Dubai. India’s first match in the Champions Trophy is scheduled to take place on February 20 against Bangladesh, and on Sunday, February 23, India will face Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. India’s last league match is on March 2 against New Zealand, and if the world No. 1 ODI team manages to qualify for the knockouts, then its semifinal match will be played on March 4 in Dubai and the final on March 9.
India is expected to announce its 15-member squad for the Champions Trophy by January 12, and according to a report in Times of India on Monday (January 6), star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah will be India’s vice-captain if there are no major fitness concerns. Bumrah, who led India in the first and fifth Tests of the recently concluded five-match series against Australia, will serve as Rohit Sharma’s deputy.
India last played a white-ball series in August 2024 against Sri Lanka, and in that, Shubman Gill was India’s vice-captain. In the past, Hardik Pandya has also served as Rohit’s deputy. The star all-rounder was India’s vice-captain in the ODI World Cup 2023 before being ruled out due to injury.
India’s white-ball regulars Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, and Arshdeep Singh are almost certain to be picked for the Champions Trophy, and it will be interesting to see if Mohammed Shami, who last played for India on November 19, 2023, also finds a place in the side.
Except for Bumrah, who could be rested due to workload management, all other Champions Trophy-bound players are likely to feature in three ODIs against England that are set to be played on February 6, 9, and 12 in Nagpur, Cuttack, and Ahmedabad, respectively.
