Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of India’s squad for the Champions Trophy 2025, BCCI confirmed late on Tuesday night. After a long wait over his fitness status, post suffering a back injury, India’s pace spearhead has been finally confirmed to miss the tournament. The 23-year-old pacer Harshit Rana was named as Bumrah’s replacement in the final 15-man squad. In another selection twist, young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was also left out of the final squad, with 33-year-old mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy being named in his place.

“Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy due to a lower back injury. The Men’s Selection Committee has named Harshit Rana as Bumrah’s replacement. Team India have also named Varun Chakaravarthy in the squad. The spinner will replace Yashasvi Jaiswal who was initially named in the provisional squad,” the BCCI said in a release.

Having suffered a back injury during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Bumrah had been advised five weeks of rest as confirmed by chief selector Ajit Agarkar. However, the 31-year-old seamer has not been able to recover in time.

Pacer Harshit Rana was handed his ODI debut during the series against England, where he has picked up four wickets in two games.

Yashasvi Jaiswal out, Varun Chakaravarthy in

The other big change to India’s roster comes in the form of opener Yashasvi Jaiswal being dropped from the final squad, with mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy taking his spot.

Both Jaiswal and Chakaravarthy had been handed their ODI debuts during the series against England.

Chakaravarthy forced his way into contention after imperious form during the T20I series against England, where he picked up 14 wickets in five games, being named the ‘Player of the Series’.

Jaiswal was India’s top run-scorer across all formats in 2024, but has only played one ODI to date, with most of his runs coming in Test cricket.

Non-travelling substitutes

Team India have named three non-travelling substitutes, in case of injury, in the form of Jaiswal, pacer Mohammed Siraj and all-rounder Shivam Dube.

“Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy due to a lower back injury. The Men’s Selection Committee has named Harshit Rana as Bumrah’s replacement. Team India have also named Varun Chakaravarthy in the squad. The spinner will replace Yashasvi Jaiswal who was initially named in the provisional squad,” the BCCI said in a release.

India’s squad for ICC Champions Trophy, 2025: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.

Non Travelling substitutes: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj and Shivam Dube. The three players will travel to Dubai as and when required.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a cash reward of Rs 5 crore for the Indian side that claimed their second consecutive U19 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup at the Bayuemas Oval on Sunday. Led by a spirited captain, Niki Prasad, the Indian team remained unbeaten throughout the tournament as they showcased exceptional skill, composure, and dominance. India played with fearless intent throughout the tournament, culminating in a commanding nine-wicket victory over South Africa in the final.

“The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) extends its heartfelt congratulations to the India Under-19 women’s team for successfully defending their title at the ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025 in Malaysia.

“To honour this remarkable achievement, the BCCI has announced a cash reward of INR 5 Crore for the victorious squad and support staff, led by Head Coach Nooshin Al Khadeer,” read the statement by BCCI.

“Congratulations to our girls for retaining the U19 Women’s World Cup. It has been an exemplary campaign wherein they’ve remained unbeaten throughout. We spoke about their performances at the Naman Awards last night and today they have made us all proud. This trophy reflects the growth of women’s cricket in India, and I’m extremely delighted to see each member shine in this tournament. I once again would like to congratulate the entire team, coaches and the support staff for a fantastic show,” said Roger Binny, President, BCCI

Several players delivered standout performances, with India’s top-order batters leading from the front and the bowling unit maintaining a stranglehold. G. Trisha finished as the highest-run scorer of the tournament with 309 runs and was named the Player of the Match and the Player of the Tournament as she also picked seven wickets. Spinners Vaishnavi Sharma and Aayushi Shukla topped the wicket-takers list, taking 17 and 14 wickets, respectively.

India’s triumph in the inaugural edition of the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in 2023 and now in 2025 is a testament to the Board’s strong age-group and grassroots structure. The robust domestic pathway continues to produce world-class talent, ensuring that a feeder line to the national team remains strong and vibrant.

Devajit Saikia, Honorary Secretary, BCC said, “I extend my best wishes to the India Under-19 Women’s team for their remarkable title defence at the ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025. To achieve this historic feat and win the trophy for the second consecutive time showcases their dedication, resilience, and dominance on the global stage. The entire team, along with the support staff, displayed tremendous skill, teamwork, and determination in all aspects of the game. This World Cup victory highlights the strength of India’s grassroots cricket and the bright future of our women’s game.”

A stellar bowling performance, with the spinners taking nine wickets – three of which went to Trisha Gongadi – along with fielders stepping up nicely helped Niki Prasad-led India apply the squeeze on South Africa and bowl them out for 82 on a slow pitch. In the chase, Trisha made 44 not out off 33 balls while Sanika Chalke slammed an unbeaten 26 off 22 deliveries to help India complete the chase in 11.2 overs to clinch the title yet again after winning it in 2023 in Potchefstroom, South Africa

India’s second successive triumph in the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup yet again showed the gulf that exists between them and teams of other nations at the U19 women’s level, as they also became the first side to win the title without losing any game.

“The entire nation is proud of this incredible achievement by our young and talented team. My heartfelt congratulations to the India Under-19 Women’s team for successfully defending the ICC Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup title in Malaysia. Their discipline, determination, and fearless brand of cricket have once again brought glory to the nation. Winning back-to-back World Cups is no easy feat, and this triumph is a testament to their hard work and perseverance. These successive triumphs will inspire the next generation of young girls across India to take up cricket and dream big,’ said Rajeev Shukla, Vice-President, BCCI.

The legendary Sachin Tendulkar, whose batting records and impact on international cricket have stood the test of time, was on Saturday conferred with the Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award, while current India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was honoured with the Polly Umrigar Award for Best Men’s International Cricketer of 2023-24. The 51-year-old Tendulkar, who played 664 international games for India, holds the record for the highest number of Test and ODI runs in the history of the game. “Always value your game and take care of your game. I realised on that final day (2013) that I will never walk onto the field as a current India cricketer. Similarly, once you retire then you will realise where you were a few years ago,” Tendulkar said during the BCCI’s annual awards function.

“So enjoy your game as you have a lot of cricket left in you as current India cricketers and stay away from distractions.” Bumrah, who was selected as the ICC Test and overall Cricketer of the Year for delivering “a master-class in skill, precision, and relentless consistency”, was India’s standout bowler last year, playing a pivotal role in India’s home wins over England and Bangladesh.

The 31-year-old was also the Player of the Series against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, bagging 32 wickets across five Tests.

Elegant batter Smriti Mandhana walked away with the Best International Cricketer of 2023-24 in women’s category.

Mandhana, who was the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year, made 743 runs in the 2024 calendar year with four centuries.

The 28-year-old’s runs came at an average of 57.86 and an impressive strike rate of 95.15.

Spin great Ravichandran Ashwin, who retired from international cricket in December 2024 as India’s second highest wicket-taker in Tests with 537 dismissals and overall eighth highest, was bestowed with a special award.

“My fingers still itch as I realised when I came down the field for training because there is an IPL for me. The whole career has been a huge high for me actually, and it was a privilege to share the stage with Sachin Tendulkar, a dream for a boy who played street cricket in Chennai,” Ashwin said after receiving the award.

The 37-year-old Ashwin, who made his Test debut in November 2011, played a defining role in India’s 12-year domination in the longest format at home wherein they won 18 series on the trot.

Among newcomers, Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan grabbed the Best International Debut among men for his quick-fire fifty against England in the Rajkot Test in February 2024.

Among women, Asha Sobhana was given the award for Best International Debut as she picked up 4/21 against South Africa to help India win by 143 runs in their first ODI at Bengaluru in June 2024.

Mandhana was also honoured with the Highest Run Getter in ODIs medal after she finished as the highest run-scorer in 2024, smacking 747 runs at 57.46 in 13 matches with four tons and one fifty.

Experienced off-spinner Deepti Sharma was awarded with the Highest Wickets in ODIs medal for taking 24 wickets in 13 matches.

Tanush Kotian continued to make waves with his rise through the ranks in Mumbai in the 2023-24 season, which culminated with his maiden call-ups for the India A side for their tour of Australia and subsequently for the Indian team for the last two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Kotian was awarded with the Best Performance in the BCCI Domestic Tournaments trophy.

The 26-year-old scored 502 runs in 10 matches at 41.83 with one century and five fifties and also grabbed 29 wickets.

The Mumbai Cricket Association was given the Best Performance in BCCI Domestic Tournaments Trophy.

Having won the Ranji Trophy for a record-extending 42nd time in the season, Mumbai also claimed the Irani Cup after a gap of 27 years.

Mumbai also won various titles such as Ranji Trophy, U-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy, U-14 West Zone Championship, senior women’s T20 Trophy, women’s U-19 One Day Trophy, Bapuna Cup T20 Tournament and men’s U-19 All India tournament.

Mumbai teams also finished as runner-up in Cooch Behar U-19 Trophy and Vinoo Mankad U-19 Trophy.

Akshay Totre from Indore was adjudged the Best Umpire in Domestic Cricket for the season.

Talismanic pacer Jasprit Bumrah was chosen for the BCCI’s Polly Umrigar Award for Best International Cricketer 2023-24 in men’s category while elegant batter Smriti Mandhana was picked for the corresponding women’s trophy in the Board’s annual honours that will be presented in Mumbai on Saturday. Bumrah, who was selected as the ICC Test and overall Cricketer of the Year for delivering a “a master-class in skill, precision, and relentless consistency”, was India’s standout bowler last year, playing a pivotal role in India’s home wins over England and Bangladesh.

The 31-year-old was also the Player of the Series against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, bagging 32 wickets across five Tests.

Mandhana, who was the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year, made 743 runs in the 2024 calendar year.

She scored four ODI centuries, a record in the women’s game, and found the boundary more than a hundred times in the year, hitting 95 fours and six maximums.

The 28-year-old cricketer’s ODI runs came at an average of 57.86 and an impressive strike rate of 95.15.

Spin great Ravichandran Ashwin, who retired from international cricket in December 2024 as India’s second highest wicket-taker in Tests with 537 dismissals and overall eighth highest, has been bestowed with a special award at the end of his career.

The 37-year-old Ashwin, who made his Test debut in November 2011, played a defining role in India’s 12-year domination in the longest format at home wherein they won 18 series on the trot.

Among newcomers, Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan was picked for the Best International Debut among men for his quick-fire fifty against England in the Rajkot Test in February 2024.

The middle-order mainstay also hit a counter-attacking 150 against New Zealand in the Bengaluru Test to continue his ascent.

Among women, Asha Sobhana has been chosen for the award for Best International Debut as she picked up 4/21 against South Africa to help India win by 143 runs in their first ODI at Bengaluru in June 2024.

Mandhana will also be honoured with the Highest Run Getter in ODIs medal after she finished as the highest run-scorer in 2024, smacking 747 runs at 57.46 in 13 matches with four tons and one fifty.

Similarly, Deepti Sharma was awarded with the Highest Wickets in ODIs medal for taking 24 wickets in 13 matches.

Tanush Kotian continued to make waves with his rise through the ranks in Mumbai in the 2023-24 season, which culminated with his maiden call-ups for the India A side for their tour of Australia and subsequently for the Indian team for the last two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Kotian will be awarded with the Best Performance in BCCI Domestic Tournaments trophy.

The 26-year-old, who rose to limelight with all-round performances in Mumbai’s 42nd Ranji Trophy win in 2023-24, scored 502 runs in 10 matches at 41.83 with one century and five fifties and also grabbed 29 wickets.

Having won the Ranji Trophy for a record-extending 42nd time in the season, Mumbai also claimed the Irani Cup after a gap of 27 years.

The Mumbai Cricket Association would be given the Best Performance in BCCI Domestic Tournaments Trophy for winning various titles such as Ranji Trophy, U-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy, U-14 West Zone Championship, senior women’s T20 Trophy, women’s U-19 One Day Trophy, Bapuna Cup T20 Tournament and men’s U-19 All India Tournament.

Mumbai teams also finished as runner-up in Cooch Behar U-19 Trophy and Vinoo Mankad U-19 Trophy.

Akshay Totre from Indore was adjudged the Best Umpire in Domestic Cricket for the season.

Legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar has been chosen for Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award.

Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan has backed India’s move to delay Mohammed Shami’s much-anticipated international return following a prolonged injury lay-off, saying the team think tank and the veteran pacer will make the “right call at the right time”. Shami, who has proved his fitness in practice sessions and domestic cricket for Bengal, was not included in India’s playing XI for the first T20I against England here on Wednesday. All eyes were on Shami’s return after a 14-month injury lay-off, but India opted for three spinners instead, a decision that paid off as they bowled out England for a meagre 132 before cruising to the target in 12.5 overs with seven wickets in hand.

Irfan said Shami is experienced enough to take an honest assessment of his body.

“When you’ve been such a seasoned campaigner and are among India’s top 10 bowlers, you understand your body’s limits well,” said Irfan at a promotional event here.

“Shami always provides honest feedback to the team management, and decisions are made through mutual communication. Recovery at the highest level takes time, especially after playing consistently. I believe he and the team management will make the right call at the right time.”

Having undergone surgery and rehab following an ankle injury sustained during the 2023 ODI World Cup, where he finished as India’s top wicket-taker, Shami had made an impressive return in domestic cricket, representing Bengal across all three formats.

Shami has been chosen in India’s white-ball rubber squad against England consisting five T20Is and three ODIs which will act as a build up to the Champions Trophy next month, where the team’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah’s inclusion is subject to fitness.

Bumrah suffered a back niggle in the gruelling five-match Test series in Australia and could not bowl in the second innings of the fifth Test in Sydney, and in this context Shami’s availability for the Champions Trophy is crucial to India’s prospects.

Irfan also expressed concerns over the lack of a pace-bowling backup in the Champions Trophy-bound squad, suggesting that Mohammed Siraj could have been included given Bumrah’s uncertain fitness.

“You need a backup pacer. Siraj could have been a good option. In Dubai, playing four spinners isn’t viable. With Bumrah and Shami returning from injuries, it won’t be easy for them straight away,” he observed.

“A pacer like Siraj would have filled that gap. That said, we hope the selectors’ choices perform well, and we should back them,” he added.

Irfan also addressed the poor form of senior batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli during India’s 1-3 series defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy — India’s first series loss in a decade.

He advised fans not to conflate the celebrated duo’s Test struggles with their prospects in white-ball cricket.

“They’ll start scoring runs in white-ball cricket; there’s no doubt about that,” Irfan said.

“Test cricket is a different ball game altogether. Adjustments are needed, whether it’s Virat managing deliveries outside the off-stump or Rohit finding his rhythm. ODI is their favourite format, and they’ll bounce back strongly.”

Recalling India’s resilience during the 2003-04 Australia tour, Irfan further shared a motivational anecdote.

“Back then, Dean Jones visited our dressing room and mentioned how outsiders thought our team environment was broken. But we showed unity on the field and drew the series 1-1. Indian cricket is always above individual concerns,” he asserted.

Irfan also stressed the importance of domestic cricket, urging players to participate regularly.

“It’s about playing domestic cricket but do not play a couple of matches just for the sake of it and show that you’ve played.

“Playing regularly benefits both players and Indian cricket. For young players, competing against the likes of Kohli or Rohit at the domestic level can be a tremendous confidence boost as they would also raise their levels to bowl to them. Ultimately, Indian cricket gains from this,” he added.

Veteran cricket coach Harish Sharma, who guided players like Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Mongia, VRV Singh, and Siddharth Kaul, has backed the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) strict guidelines for senior men’s team to enforce discipline among squad members following their two consecutive Test series defeats against New Zealand and Australia. Apart from the restrictions on the wives and girlfriends accompanying the players on lengthy tours, the BCCI’s new policy also bars players from engaging in personal shoots or endorsements during ongoing series or tours. Henceforth, the players will also be discouraged from leaving practice sessions early. Participation in BCCI’s official shoots and functions will be mandatory for the players.

“These (restrictions) should have been in place before. When a player is on a task, he should focus on that task. I don’t think players can get busy with family or photo shoots or parties as when we go on tour, our motive is to win on foreign pitches and these things distract them,” Harish Sharma told IANS on Friday. “If you focus on other factors then it will impact your performance,” he added.

Sharma further opined that family should only be allowed to travel with the player when they are on a very long tour as doing otherwise will break their concentration. “When it’s a very long tour then players suffer homesickness and in that case, you can allow (wives and families) but when you go out for a month or so, I don’t think the family is needed as their concentration will shift to them rather than the game,” he said.

As per BCCI guidelines, the players’ partners and children (under 18) will be allowed one visit of up to two weeks per series in case the players are absent from India for more than 45 days.

The veteran coach also highlighted the importance of playing domestic cricket for international stars to gain confidence. The same was reflected by the BCCI in a document that read, “This policy ensures that players remain connected to the domestic cricket ecosystem, fostering talent development, maintaining match fitness, and strengthening the overall domestic structure.”

Sharma added, “Domestic cricket is very important. You can see Karun Nair is playing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and has scored 752 runs (in 7 innings with 5 centuries). When you play domestic cricket, you get a lot of confidence and match practice.”

“The first thing is discipline, without it players can’t give their 100 percent performance. I was not aware that Gautam Gambhir was travelling with his manager on the tour with the team. If he was travelling with his manager so where was the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit? If we’re following that rule in domestic cricket so what is the problem in following that in international cricket,” he signed off.

File photo of Indian cricket team.© AFP

Cracking the whip on the Indian cricket team’s “star culture”, the BCCI on Thursday unveiled a 10-point policy to promote “discipline and unity”, making domestic cricket mandatory, imposing restriction on the presence of families and personal staff on tours and banning individual commercial endorsements during ongoing series. It is learnt that the restrictions were sought by head coach Gautam Gambhir in a review meeting of the team’s recent poor run. Non-compliance would invite sanctions, including cuts in the players’ retainer fee from central contracts and a bar on participating in the cash-rich Indian Premier League.

The measures have been announced in the wake of the team’s disastrous tour of Australia during which it surrendered the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in a decade. The debacle was preceded by a series whitewash against a relatively under-strength New Zealand at home.

The 10 diktats make it mandatory for players to seek Gambhir and chairman of selectors’ Ajit Agarkar’s approval for any relaxation, including the duration of stay for their families on tour.

The Board has approved only a two-week window for families to stay with the players during overseas tours that exceed 45 days, besides imposing restrictions on personal staff, and commercial shoots.

By the look of things, the BCCI seems to have completely backed Gambhir’s stance during the review meeting that took place last weekend.

Terming the measures as a way of “ensuring professional standards and operational efficiency during tours and series”, the policy, which is in possession of PTI, could prove to be a landmark document.

“Any exceptions or deviations must be pre-approved by the Chairman of the Selection Committee and Head Coach. Non-compliance may lead to disciplinary action as deemed appropriate by the BCCI,” the Board has warned.

“Additionally, the BCCI reserves the right to take disciplinary action against a player which may include sanction against the concerned player from participating in all BCCI conducted tournaments including the Indian Premier League deduction from retainer amount/match fees under BCCI Player contract,” it added.

Participation in Domestic Matches

The Board said it is mandatory for players to remain available for domestic matches.

“This policy ensures that players remain connected to the domestic cricket ecosystem, fostering talent development, maintaining match fitness, and strengthening the overall domestic structure,” the BCCI stated Any exceptions to this mandate will require formal notification and approval from Agarkar.

The reason behind this instruction is the absence of stars from the Ranji ciruit. Virat Kohli hasn’t played a Ranji Trophy match since 2012, that was one year before Sachin Tendulkar played his last Ranji match in 2013.

Embattled skipper Rohit Sharma last played Ranji in 2015.

Players Traveling Separately with Families

Players would be expected to travel with the team to and from matches and practice sessions.

The BCCI said that separate travel arrangements with families are being discouraged to maintain “discipline and team cohesion”.

Exceptions, if any, must be pre-approved by Gambhir and Agarkar.

This is after one superstar player travelled separately on tours, including last year during the South Africa assignment.

Two big stars, during the recent tour of Australia, refused to travel with teams and one of them hired a charter flight for travelling from one Australian city to another.

Excess Baggage Limit

Players would now be required to adhere to specified baggage limits shared with the team. Any excess baggage costs will need to be borne by the individual. The baggage weight limit for long tours has been placed at 150 kg.

This was necessitated after the players, who were travelling with their families, included their partners, children and personal staff’s bags to their account.

Restriction on Individual Staff on Tour/Series

Personal staff, including managers, chefs, assistants and security, are to be restricted on tours or series unless explicitly approved by the BCCI.

It started with Gautam Gambhir’s personal manager raising eyebrows with his presence in the team hotel.

While Gambhir has accepted to keep his secretary away, he has ensured that chefs of certain younger star players would also not be readily allowed into the set-up.

Sending Bags Separately to the Centre of Excellence

Players have been told to co-ordinate with the team management on the equipment and personal items sent to the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

“Any additional costs incurred due to separate arrangements will be the player’s responsibility.” Some senior players have been known to send their equipment or kits much before they arrive for rehab at the NCA and most of them have earned notoriety for not paying for the excess costs.

Leaving Practice Sessions Early

All players would be mandated to stay for the entire duration of scheduled practice sessions and travel together to and from the venue to promote “commitment” and “foster a strong work ethic within the team.” The move would ensure that star players, who have become used to a separate car to leave the nets as per their wishes, will have to stay for the full duration.

Besides, the Board has barred players from engaging in personal shoots or endorsements during an ongoing series or tour to avoid “distractions” and has allowed families to join them on overseas tours which are longer than 45 days.

The last two points of the document make it mandatory for players to be available for the Board’s official shoots and functions, besides staying put with the team even when the match or the series in question has ended early.

While Team India recovers from a 3-1 loss in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, an old video of another Indian pacer has gone viral, prompting fans to call for his selection into the Test team. In the video, pacer Arshdeep Singh, playing for Kent in the County Championship in England, clean bowled a batter with an in-swinging delivery. The video has received a lot of attention on X, with people questioning why Arshdeep – India’s second-highest wicket-taker in T20Is – wasn’t considered for selection for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The video shows Arshdeep bowling a ripper, taking advantage of the seam and bowling a sharp delivery that cuts back in and dislodges the stumps of a left-hander.

With a five-match Test series against England to follow in June 2025, fans raised the possibility of him being a part of the India squad.

“Why was he not in BGT?” questioned one user.

“Isn’t this guy swinging the heck out of the cherry and he could have come very handy Down Under alongside (Jasprit) Bumrah? Why don’t we play a bowler in Test cricket by judging his performance in ODIs like Arshdeep?” said another.

“Get him in the squad for the England tour,” said a third.

“I was amazed why he wasn’t given a chance in red ball cricket after the heroics of T20WC he showed good promise with his swing bowling on top,” said yet another user.

Why was he not in BGT.

— Only Option – Trader (@WithOnlyOption) January 7, 2025

@Divya06317132

Isnt this guy is swinging the heck out of the cherry and he could have come very handy downunder along Bumrah ? Why we don’t play a bowler to in test cricket by judging his performance in ODIs ,like Arshdeep ?

— Aurora (@Rahat1314823) January 7, 2025

Get him in the squad for England tour

— Desi Engineer (@desi_engineer2) January 7, 2025

I was amazed why he wasn’t given a chance in red ball cricket after the heroics of T20WC he showed good promise with his swing bowling on top.

— Sibtain Raza (@Sibtainrazajami) January 7, 2025

One of the best swing bowlers in the country at the moment, Arshdeep has primarily played in T20Is for India, given his ability to swing in the powerplay and nail yorkers at the death. In white-ball cricket, Arshdeep has taken 95 wickets in 60 T20Is, becoming the country’s second-highest T20I wicket-taker.

However, Arshdeep’s first-class numbers are not as impressive as his T20 figures. Arshdeep averages over 30 in first-class cricket at a strike of 56.9, perhaps explaining why he hasn’t been considered for red-ball selection despite his impressive swinging ability.

The left-arm pacer is a contender for India’s squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, but given that he has played only eight ODIs, it won’t be a surprise to see Arshdeep miss out.

Pacer Mohammed Shami seems to be gearing up for a spot in India’s squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy. Shami had been out of international action for Team India in 2024, nursing a persistent knee injury, and could not make it back in time for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. However, in recent months, the fast bowler has been in regular action in domestic cricket, showing that he may yet be ready for the Champions Trophy. Shami shared a video on social media of him training, making his intentions clear.

In the video, Shami can be seen sweating it out, as he prepares for domestic side Bengal’s upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy match. Shami can also be seen wearing kneecaps to protect himself during this training video.

The big concern over Shami has been whether he will be able to bowl long spells and a full quota consistently. However, if the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 and the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy games are anything to go by, Shami seems to be ready.

Precision, Pace, and Passion, All Set to Take on the World! #Shami #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/gIEfJidChX

— (@MdShami11) January 7, 2025

Shami played nine matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, picking up 11 wickets. While he missed the initial Vijay Hazare games due to a heel inflammation, he came back and bowled eight overs in games against Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

Shami has also put forward a stronger case for selection due to his form with the bat. Shami smacked a 17-ball 32 cameo during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and then showed himself as a reliable No. 8 for Bengal, scoring 42 in 34 balls against Madhya Pradesh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

If Shami’s fitness does not prove to be a barrier, he should be a shoo-in for the India squad. The 34-year-old was India’s top wicket-taker during the 2023 World Cup, the last time India played 50-over cricket at a stretch.

With the Champions Trophy squad announcement to be made by January 12, time is running out for BCCI’s selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar to make a final decision on Shami. However, it must be noted that changes to the squad can be made up until a week before the Champions Trophy starts.