India have brought in Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami as Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss and elected to bat first in their first Group A match of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday. India enters as one of the favourites to win the eight-team competition, though Bangladesh can spring a surprise. After winning the toss, Shanto said he is very happy with the preparation and said their bowling combination is three seamers and two spinners. “Looks a good wicket so we want to put runs on the board. We have play good cricket today and the boys are confident,” he said.

India skipper Rohit Sharma said he would have fielded first. As for team changes, he says Jadeja and Shami come back in place of Washington Sundar and Arshdeep Singh.

“We have played a few years back here so we felt ball comes on better under lights. All looking good. Everyone is fit and fine to go. Let’s hope we start well. There is no looking back, every game becomes very important in this tournament,” he said.

Thursday’s match will be played on a fresh pitch, with no dew sighted this year as the game progressed into evening. The straight boundary down the ground is at 82 m straight, while square boundaries are 74 m and 62 m, respectively.

Playing XIs

India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, and Kuldeep Yadav

Bangladesh: Tanzid Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Jaker Ali, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed, and Mustafizur Rahman

Harshit Rana has been the flavour of the season as far as India’s emerging crop of fast bowlers is concerned but one of head coach Gautam Gambhir‘s finds is unlikely to start in India’s playing eleven in the Champions Trophy with Arshdeep Singh still considered way ahead in terms of talent and quality. The Indian team management gave Harshit all three ODIs against England, and if one is absolutely fair to the burly 6-feet-2-inch tall Delhi speedster, he has not looked out of place.

While Arshdeep enjoys a better economy rate of 5.17 compared to Harshit’s 6.95 per over, it is the former’s ability to bring the ball back into the right-handers during the Powerplay overs that will tilt the scales in his favour in the tournament starting February 19.

Arshdeep, who also has only nine ODIs since he made his debut in a short ODI series in New Zealand in 2022, will be ahead on most counts when one looks at the parameters that would be taken into account based on the conditions available at the Dubai International Stadium.

“Harshit has improved by leaps and bounds in terms of reducing his weight and has become sharper in terms of speed. But if I had to choose one among the two as Mohammed Shami’s partner, it has to be Arshdeep as he can swing the ball both ways and is a left-armer.

“I would be a trifle surprised if Harshit starts ahead of Arshdeep,” former national selector Devang Gandhi, who has also seen Rana from close quarters as Delhi Ranji coach, told PTI.

India will start with a clash against Bangladesh on February 20 here.

It is understood that Harshit started in all three games against England because the team management, currently helmed by Gautam Gambhir, wanted to check out if his protege could be considered as Jasprit Bumrah‘s replacement, and also this was the only series where Shami’s fitness could also have been tested in real terms.

Hence, Arshdeep was rested in the first two games and only got a chance when the think-tank decided to rest Shami, who had played back to back ODIs.

Former India opener WV Raman, one of the most respected coaches in the country, feels experience will be a key factor which should go in favour of the Punjab pacer.

“Arshdeep, due to his relative experience and the left arm being a different dimension, has an advantage. The Dubai track will be decent for the pacers,” Raman observed.

He also raised a key point about playing multi-nation event compared to bilateral series.

“A bit more experience always helps in ICC events, which is a different ball game from bilaterals. In ICC event, you will play different opposition every day and accordingly an experienced bowler changes his plans,” said Raman, who has also been India U-19 batting coach and head coach of the national women’s team.

Gandhi, on his part, also pointed out the options Arshdeep brings to the table in various phases of the match.

“Harshit hits deck and gets it to move a bit both ways after pitching along with those effective occasional heavy balls in the range of mid 140s. But when you have Arshdeep, he can swing the new ball and also use angles of the crease effectively when he comes round the wicket during death overs,” he explained.

An NCA Level 2 coach, who had watched the India U-19 team play in Dubai during the Asia Cup, had observed that there is at least five to six inches more bounce on offer at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

“If you have that shade extra bounce for a swing bowler then playing Arshdeep is a no-brainer. Harshit is a good talent but if Shami is fit, then Arshdeep, for variation, experience and game awareness partners him,” the former NCA coach said. 

While Team India appear to have hit their stride at the right time just ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025 – having battered England 3-0 at home in an ODI series – they will still face the problem of having to replace Jasprit Bumrah during the main tournament. Bumrah, unquestionably India’s pace spearhead, has not been able to recover from a back issue in time for the tournament. Former England coach David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd stated that left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh, set to replace Bumrah in India’s playing XI, will have to significantly adjust from T20I cricket to ODI cricket.

“It’s a great opportunity for someone to come in, someone who wouldn’t make the team. But you can’t get away from the fact that he (Bumrah) is the best bowler in the world, and if he isn’t playing for you, you’ve got a problem” said Lloyd, speaking on TalkSport Cricket.

Arshdeep Singh is India’s highest-ever T20I wicket-taker, but has only played nine ODIs till date. Lloyd mentioned that shifting from T20Is to ODIs would be a big change.

“Massive difference – four overs to 10. If you’re the opposition, test him out; really get into him,” Lloyd said.

“‘This is not T20 mate, this is not a little party, you’ve got to come back and come back again’, that will be something he won’t be used to,” Lloyd said.

Arshdeep is one of three pacers selected by Team India for the Champions Trophy 2025, alongside the experienced Mohammed Shami and the recently-debuted Harshit Rana. India went with as many as five spinners in their squad, keeping in mind the conditions in Dubai and the short duration of the tournament.

Arshdeep has fared fairly well in his nine ODIs so far for India, having picked up 14 wickets at an average of 23.

However, Arshdeep played just a solitary game in the three-match ODI series against England, with Shami playing two and Rana playing all three.

The absence of Bumrah – who was named the ICC Cricketer of the Year for 2024 – will surely be felt by India. The 31-year-old has won the ‘Player of the Tournament’ at the T20 World Cup 2024 and the ‘Player of the Series’ at the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and appeared in the best form of his career heading into the Champions Trophy.

India are likely to go with two frontline seamers in their playing XI at the Champions Trophy, with all-rounder Hardik Pandya being the third seam option.

With India 2-0 up, as many as three players found a spot each in India’s playing XI for the third and final ODI against England. Yet, wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant found no place in the team for the dead rubber. Pant, who was added to India’s squad not just for the ODI series against England but also for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy. After India won the first two matches, changes were expected to be made with the team. While India skipper Rohit Sharma did announce multiple swaps in the playing XI, KL Rahul continued to be persisted for the role behind the stumps as Pant warmed the bench.

It was England skipper Jos Buttler who won the toss and opted to field first. Rohit, however, confirmed that he wanted to bat first anyway. Hence, both captains got what they wanted.

“I wanted to bat first and put runs on the board because we bowled first in the last two games. It was important for us to get a win in the last game. The fielders portrayed themselves well in the last two games, a lot of young blood. We want to continue to do well in the field. They are pretty new in their careers so we want to keep the pressure away from them, let them do their own and they have got a lot of potential.

Rohit announced that Shami and Jadeja were rested for the match but Varun couldn’t participate due to a sore calf issue. Hence, India had to make three changes.

“We have made some changes – Jadeja and Shami have been rested, unfortunately, Varun has a sore calf. So, Washi, Kuldeep, and Arshdeep come into the side,” Rohit said at the time of toss,” said the skipper.

“We are gonna bowl first today. (On whether the expected dew has influenced his decision to bowl first) A little bit maybe, it may spin a bit later. We have batted first in the first two games so it will be a different experience today ahead of the Champions Trophy. It’s a decent wicket, we played New Zealand in the World Cup a few years ago, it was a black soil pitch and it played better in the second half. We have one change – Tom Banton comes in for Jamie Overton into the side,” the England skipper said after the toss. 

India Playing XI: Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh

England Playing XI: Philip Salt(w), Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler(c), Tom Banton, Liam Livingstone, Gus Atkinson, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Saqib Mahmood

Indian cricket team fast bowler Mohammed Shami made his long-awaited comeback as he replaced Arshdeep Singh in the playing XI for the third T20I encounter against England in Rajkot on Thursday. Shami, who last played for India in the ICC World Cup 2023 final against Australia, suffered an ankle injury after the tournament and had to undergo surgery. However, he proved himself in domestic cricket following his recovery and after missing the first two matches, he will be playing for India in Rajkot.

Coming to the match, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and opted to field.

“We will bowl first, looks nice and hard, don’t think it will change later as well. Rajkot has always been a good track, sure it will be a sporting one. We wanted to play a different brand of cricket but at the same time you need to understand the situation and he (Tilak) bailed the side out. We’ll look at it as a 3 game series from here, boys are charged up. Arshdeep is resting, Shami comes in,” SKY said at the toss.

India hold a 2-0 lead in the five-match series after winning the first match in Kolkata by seven wickets and the second in Chennai by two wickets.

“Looks a really good surface, looking forward to batting. We would’ve chased as well. Looks a good wicket, guys have had a good practice yesterday and we’re excited for the match. Was a really good game of cricket, we fought really hard and pushed them all the way. We need to play really well tonight. We know how well India play, they’re a strong team. We need a good total to defend. Same team but Jamie Smith will keep wickets, Salt has got a little stiff calf,” England captain Jos Buttler said at the toss.

England retained their playing XI for this contest.

Teams:

India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakravarthy.

England: Jos Buttler (c), Ben Duckett, Philip Salt (wk), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Smith, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood. 

Rohit Sharma was elected as the captain of the ICC T20I Team of the Year for 2024, after leading India to a second T20 World Cup title in the year. Despite poor form in Test cricket, Rohit won his first piece of ICC silverware as India captain, finishing as the second-highest run-scorer of the tournament as well. Three other Indians featured in the ICC XI, in the form of pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh and all-rounder Hardik Pandya. Bumrah was adjudged the Player of the Tournament of the T20 World Cup 2024.

Travis Head was selected to open alongside Rohit Sharma, while Phil Salt was also included in the XI, as the No. 3 batter.

Head amassed 255 runs in seven games at the T20 World Cup, finishing as the third-highest run-scorer. The Australian had a superb 2024, and also made his mark in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Phil Salt hit three T20I centuries in 2024, and found a spot in the ICC XI.

Nicholas Pooran was the highest run-scorer across T20s in 2024, amassing over 2,000 runs, and was chosen as the wicket-keeper in the XI. Pakistan stalwart Babar Azam also found a spot, having scored 738 runs in 23 innings, despite not having the best T20 World Cup.

Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza, India’s Hardik Pandya and Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan were selected as the all-rounders in the team. Pandya was arguably the best all-rounder in the T20 World Cup, while Rashid led Afghanistan to a historic first semi-final.

Bumrah had a phenomenal T20 World Cup 2024, picking up 15 wickets, while Arshdeep was the leading wicket-taker of the tournament with 17. The latter picked up 36 wickets in 18 games in 2024.

Alongside Rashid Khan, Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga was selected as the other spinner in the ICC T20I Team of the Year.

ICC T20I Team of the Year 2024: Rohit Sharma (c), Travis Head, Phil Salt, Babar Azam, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Sikandar Raza, Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh.

Abhishek Sharma smashed a blistering 34-ball-79 in an exhibition of breathtaking power-hitting on the back of a disciplined bowling effort, as India outplayed England by seven wickets in the first T20I in Kolkata on Wednesday. India now lead the five-match series 1-0. On a day when Gautam Gambhir’s coaching set-up made headlines by delaying Mohammed Shami’s much-anticipated return to international cricket, India bundled out England for a paltry 132 at Eden Gardens, where the average first-innings score is around 195.

Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy was at his devastating best, returning figures of 3/23, ably supporting left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh’s record-breaking spell of 2/17.

Arshdeep not only rattled England with his precision but also etched his name in the record books, surpassing Yuzvendra Chahal (96 wickets) to become India’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is with 97 scalps.

But Abhishek’s clean hitting, including five fours and eight sixes, in a 20-ball half-century, took the game away from England as India cruised to the target in commanding fashion with 43 balls to spare.

He shared a third wicket partnership with Tilak Verma (19 not out) who showed fine maturity in the partnership of 84 that came at a strike rate of 200.

Abhishek showcased his full range of shots, flicking one over fine leg reminiscent of Yuvraj Singh, backing away to uppercut another for six over third man, and finishing the over with a straight-driven boundary.

The 18-run over eased the pressure on India and shifted the game decisively.

India’s strategy against Archer’s final over was cautious, as Abhishek and Tilak Varma played him out with maturity.

Abhishek was handed a lifeline on 29 when Adil Rashid spilled a sharp return catch.

Capitalising on the reprieve, the Indian opener unleashed his power, taking on Rashid with disdain.

He smashed the leg-spinner for a boundary and two towering sixes in consecutive deliveries, putting India firmly in control.

Abhishek brought up his half-century in spectacular fashion, hooking a 140.7 kph short ball from Jamie Overton over fine leg with supreme confidence.

By the halfway mark, India had surged to 100/2, turning the target into a mere formality.

Gambhir’s decision was vindicated because perfect execution of plans by his spin troika of who snared 5 for 67 in 12 overs bowled between them.

Despite the dewy conditions, India went in with three spinners — Ravi Bishnoi (0/23 in 4 overs), Axar Patel (2/22 in 4 overs), and Chakravarthy — backing record-breaker Arshdeep Singh’s fiery opening spell.

The left-arm quick set the tone by dismissing both openers, Phil Salt (0) and Ben Duckett (4), in successive overs en route to his 2/17 from four overs.

His first spell of 3-0-10-2 also saw him surpass Chahal’s tally.

Stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav managed his bowlers astutely, ensuring timely changes and capitalising on their momentum after winning the toss. The pitch offered some grip, and the dew had minimal impact.

England’s struggles were compounded as they failed to build partnerships, with only skipper Jos Buttler holding the innings together.

Buttler (68 from 44 balls) played a composed knock, reaching his fifty off 34 balls, mixing power and precision to keep England afloat amidst the wreckage.

Chakravarthy turned the game decisively in India’s favour post-powerplay finding his mojo back at his IPL home venue.

Returning to his IPL home ground, the Kolkata Knight Riders spinner dismissed Harry Brook (17) and Liam Livingstone (0) in quick succession before eventually sending Buttler back, breaking England’s resistance.

Ravi Bishnoi complemented the attack beautifully with a tight spell of 0/22 from his four overs, while Axar Patel recovered from a shaky start to finish with 2/22, including a maiden.

The spinners dominated the middle overs, conceding just 25 runs and picking up two crucial wickets between overs 10 and 15. The English batters weren’t able to pick the wrist spinners from their hands.

England’s misery was compounded by some reckless shot selection.

Youngster Jacob Bethell (7) escaped a close stumping chance off Chakravarthy but couldn’t capitalise, mistiming a pull to deep midwicket to become Hardik Pandya’s first victim.

Pandya was initially expensive smashed for 18 runs where Buttler smashed him for four boundaries but he was cleverly rotated by Suryakumar as he bowled tidily at death and finished with 2/42.

England were eventually bowled out in the final delivery when Mark Wood was run out for 1.

Despite the early counterattack from Brook and Buttler, England never truly recovered from Chakravarthy’s twin strikes.

Jasprit Bumrah was the top wicket-taker for India in Tests in 2024© AFP

Rishabh Pant is widely expected to go for an exorbitant amount in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction, and the mock auction conducted by auction broadcasters Star Sports and JioCinema showed that many cricket experts also believe the same. Coming up in the first set of marquee players, Pant was bought for a mind-boggling INR 33 crore by Punjab Kings (PBKS), represented by Eoin Morgan. Fellow wicket-keeper batter KL Rahul also received an incredible sum of INR 29.5 crore, being purchased by Royal Challengers (RCB) represented by their former head coach Mike Hesson.

Pant parted ways with Delhi Capitals (DC) ahead of the IPL mega auction, and has even clarified on social media that money wasn’t the factor behind his decision. However, being arguably the biggest name in the auction, Pant is still expected to fetch a huge fee.

PBKS boast the highest auction purse of any team, with Rs 110.5 cr, and are likely to go all-out for Pant with former DC head coach Ricky Ponting now with them.

“I anticipated his price to soar between Rs 26 and Rs 29 crore, but his eventual price was a record-shattering Rs 33 crore—deservedly so. Rishabh is not just a top-order left-handed batsman but also one of the most explosive players in modern cricket. Coupled with his captaincy credentials and the potential to serve for years to come, he’s akin to securing a young MS Dhoni. This is a strategic long-term investment, focused on building a robust foundation for the future. In my view, players like Pant are simply invaluable,” said Morgan, in the mock auction hosted by Star Sports and Jio Cinema.

On the other hand, KL Rahul’s stock may also be higher following a very impressive showing in the ongoing India-Australia first Test at Perth. Rahul chose to enter the auction pool instead of staying at Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

“RCB would ideally prioritize Rishabh Pant to ensure continuity after Virat Kohli, especially for long-term stability. I personally bid up to ₹32.5 crore for Pant but wouldn’t have stretched as much for KL Rahul. At 32, Rahul brings experience and the ability to anchor the innings post-Virat’s era. As a local talent, he also fills the critical wicket-keeping slot left vacant by DK’s exit. While RCB would likely bid aggressively for him, the final price would hinge on the dynamics and unpredictability of the auction,” said Hesson after acquiring Rahul.

Reigning IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), represented in the mock auction by former player Sanjay Bangar, bought back captain Shreyas Iyer for Rs 21 cr.

“I drew inspiration from Venky Mysore’s swift auction tactics—raising the paddle decisively when targeting a player. My reasoning was clear: Shreyas is a proven winning captain, and in a dynamic format like T20, such leadership is invaluable. If KKR chose to release him, it might have been due to financial considerations, possibly Shreyas demanding a higher price that didn’t align with their valuation. The auction provided an opportunity to test his market worth. Yes, I exceeded the ideal budget, allocating over 15% of the purse for a captain. However, a leader of his caliber strengthens the team immensely, fostering critical partnerships with management, Chandrakant Pandit, and the support staff. For me, continuity in leadership holds unparalleled value,” said Bangar.

Other big purchases in Star Sports/JioCinema mock auction:

Mitchell Starc: Rs 18 cr – Mumbai Indians (MI)

Arshdeep Singh: Rs 16.5 cr – Punjab Kings (PBKS)

Yuzvendra Chahal: Rs 15 cr – Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

Ishan Kishan: Rs 15.5 cr – Delhi Capitals (DC)

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra, representing DC in the mock auction, admitted that prices would be slightly inflated.

“We’ll all agree that the prices discussed here are a little inflated, but the names I’m taking will fit the team’s strategy,” said Chopra.