India enter the Champions Trophy 2025 as one of the favourites, but the tournament may end up having extra significance for them if the words of former Indian cricketer-turned-pundit Aakash Chopra is anything to go by. Chopra has suggested that there is a strong possibility that this tournament could be the last time senior stalwarts of the side like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami play a major ICC event. All players are well over 30 years of age.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra provided good reasoning behind the thought process.

“I am saying this with a heavy heart. There is a strong possibility. The Champions Trophy is about to happen, and after that, there will be another ICC event this year, which is the WTC (World Test Championship) final. India haven’t reached there. So none among Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja will play that,” said Chopra.

“After that, the ICC event next year is the T20 World Cup but all three have retired from that format. So all three won’t play there as well,” Chopra added.

Chopra expressed uncertainty about whether the seniors would be able to play till the 2027 ODI World Cup.

“The ODI World Cup will be in 2027, which could be a bit too far. The world will look very different by 2027. I think even the players also feel this could be their last,” Chopra said.

India captain Rohit Sharma turns 38 in April 2025, whereas Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja turn 37 later this year. Mohammed Shami also turns 35 this year.

With the Indian senior core not getting any younger, Team India have already hinted at long-term leadership appointments. Jasprit Bumrah taking up Test captaincy is all but a formality, while Shubman Gill is seemingly being prepared to take over the leadership in the ODI format.

Rohit, Kohli, Jadeja and Shami were all instrumental as India dominantly reached the 2023 World Cup final, and will be hoping to play a crucial role again as they aim to win a record third Champions Trophy title.

India begin their Champions Trophy campaign on February 20 against Bangladesh, and then face Pakistan and New Zealand in the group phase.

India Squad For 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.

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

India’s bowling coach, Morne Morkel is delighted at having Mohammed Shami back in the squad, hinting at a possible return for the veteran pacer in the upcoming game. Shami, who made his first appearance for India since the ODI World Cup 2023 final, played in the third T20I against England. Though he went wicketless, the experienced seamer showcased his trademark seam position, conceding 25 runs in three overs at an economy rate of 8.33. Speaking about Shami’s impact, Morkel said in the post-match press conference, “Shami’s been bowling really well, catching to him at warm-ups… so very happy he’s coming along. He’s probably going to get an opportunity in the next game, we’ll see how things go, but excited to have him back in the group.”

Beyond his on-field performance, Morkel highlighted Shami’s invaluable role in mentoring the younger bowlers in the squad.

“Just for him to share his experience and his knowledge at training is a massive boost for this young bowling unit and for Indian cricket, so yeah, great to have Shami back in the mix,” he added.

With the series evenly poised, Shami’s presence could be a significant advantage for India as they look to fine-tune their bowling attack. His wealth of experience and skillset will not only bolster India’s pace department but also serve as a guiding force for the younger bowlers in the squad.

Harshit Rana and Ravi Bishnoi’s three-wicket hauls helped India clinch a thrilling 15-run win over England in the fourth T20I match at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Friday, handing the Men in Blue an unassailable lead in the five-match series.

The Indian bowling dominated the second innings with early wickets.

The hosts got an advantage after Harshit Rana replaced concussed Shivam Dube in the second inning. Rana’s presence in the playing eleven gave a huge boost to the Men in Blue bowling attack as he turned out to be the hero for the team in crunch situation.

Philip Salt (23 runs from 21 balls, 4 fours) and Ben Duckett (39 runs from 19 balls, 7 fours and 1 six) cemented a partnership of 62 runs and gave a fiery start to the Three Lions.

Ravi Bishnoi drew the first blood in the second inning as he removed Duckett in the 6th over.

Following the first wicket, India got an upper hand on the visitors and started to remove the top England batters from the crease.

Skipper Jos Buttler (2 runs from 3 balls) failed to shine during the run chase and succumbed in front of Bishnoi in the 8th over.

Harry Brook (51 runs from 26 balls, 5 fours and 2 sixes) was the only England player to put up a show in the second inning. His fiery knock gave hope to the visitors to clinch the game. However, the English youngster was removed from the crease in the 15th over by Varun Chakravarthy.

In the latter part of the game, Jamie Overton (19 runs from 15 balls, 1 four and 1 six) and Adil Rashid (10* runs from 6 balls, 1 six) tried to pose a scare by adding some crucial runs on the board but fell short against the Indian bowling attack.

Harshit Rana and Ravi Bishnoi led the Indian bowling attack as they picked up three wickets each in their respective spells. Varun Chakravarthy also bagged two wickets in his four-over spell while giving 28 runs. While Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel took one wicket each in their respective spells.

India will take on England in the final match of the series in Mumbai at the iconic Wankhede Stadium on February 02.

Earlier in the first inning, India had a sloppy start, however, it was the efforts of Hardik and Shivam which helped the Men in Blue to set a target of 182 runs for England on Friday.

After winning the toss, Jos Buttler-led England decided to bring Suryakumar Yadav’s India to bat first.

The Three Lions had a great start to the match with three quick dismissals at the score of 12. However, the Men in Blue turned around the match on a great note and gave a whopping target.

The opening partnership of Sanju Samson (1 run from 3 balls) and Abhishek Sharma (29 runs from 19 balls, 4 fours and 1 six) had a disappointing start to the game as they could only cement a partnership of 12 runs.

England seamer Saqib Mahmood was on fire in the second over as he removed India’s top three batters without giving a single run to the opponent.

Mahmood removed Samson, Tilak Varma (0 runs from 1 ball) and captain Suryakumar Yadav (0 runs from 4 balls) in the second over.

It was also Mahmood’s first over of the tour and he started it with a triple-wicket maiden. It was the first time this had happened in a men’s T20 international.

Following the early wickets, Abhishek and Rinku Singh (30 runs from 26 balls, 4 fours and 1 six) made a 45-run partnership to give India a kickstart in the match.

However, Adil Rashid removed Abhishek in the 8th over. While Rinku lost his wicket in the 11th over.

Hardik Pandya (53 runs from 30 balls, 4 fours and 4 sixes) displayed a stupendous performance and slammed his half-century in the 18th over.

Along with Hardik, Shivam Dube (53 runs from 34 balls, 7 fours and 2 sixes) also put up a show and smashed his fifty in the 19th over.

The duo of Hardik and Shivam took India to 181/9 in the first inning. Ravi Bishnoi remained unbeaten on the crease till the end.

Star batter Rinku Singh is set to make his return to India’s playing XI for the crucial 4th T20I against England in Cuttack on Friday. After featuring in the series-opener in Kolkata, Rinku sat out the last two games in Chennai and Rajkot, respectively, owing to back spasms. However, on the eve of the game in Cuttack, India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate confirmed that Rinku will be available for selection, having looked in good rhythm while batting in the nets on a day earlier.

“Rinku is fit. He played the first game, hurt himself and missed the next two. But I would imagine Rinku comes back in as soon as he’s proper fit. He batted the other night and I think he’ll be ready to go tomorrow,” Ten Doeschate said during a pre-match press conference on Thursday.

Rinku’s likely inclusion would be a major boost for the Indian team as it looks to wrap up the series on Friday ahead of the fifth and final game in Mumbai on Sunday.

If the team management does decide to ship Rinku into the playing XI, young wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel is likely to make the way. Unlike Jurel, Rinku is likely to bat higher up the order and will provide more stability in the middle-order.

It is highly unlikely that India will make any other change. Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma will continue to open, while Tilak Varma‘s match-winning knock in Chennai has earned him a longer rope in the team.

Mohammed Shami needs a lot of bowling in match situations and the Rajkot game was a decent restart to his international career without being spectacular. For continuity, the management is likely to persist with the veteran for this game at least. 

India’s Likely XI For 4th T20I vs England:

Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel (VC), Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami and Varun Chakravarthy

File image of Suryakumar Yadav from the India vs England T20I series© AFP

Indian batters faltered against an incisive England bowling attack as the visitors raised their game in a must-win scenario to win the third T20I by 26 runs and keep the five-match series alive on Tuesday. Mohammed Shami made a solid comeback to international cricket after 14 months but it was Varun Chakravarthy’s bowling effort that stood out as his five-wicket haul helped India limit England to 171/9. India should have chased down the target but the batters could only manage 145/9 in 20 overs. India still lead the series 2-1 with the fourth game scheduled in Pune on January 31.

While express pace combine of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood did the job in the powerplay, Adil Rashid applied the choke in the middle overs with a skillful display of leg-spin.

Unsettled by the extra pace of Archer in the first two games, Sanju Samson (3 off 6) fell to the England pacer once again while trying to hit a short of length ball out of the park.

His opening partner Abhishek Sharma (24 off 14) played some crisp shots before falling to Brydon Carse.

Suryakumar Yadav (14 off 7) started with a trademark pick up shot off Archer that went all the way but a similar shot attempted off Wood brought about his downfall, extending his lean run.

The turning point of India’s innings was the dismissal of Tilak Varma (18 off 14) who had returned not out in his last four outings including two hundreds and a half-century.

It took a special ball from Rashid to send back Varma as the leg-spinner got one to turn sharply from outside the off-stump and crash into the middle stump.

Hardik Pandya (40 off 35) took the game deep but was not able to take his team over the line.

Earlier, England lost their way after a whirlwind fifty from Ben Duckett (51 off 28) as the in-form Chakravarthy ran through the opposition batting on a flat track.

From 83 for one, England slipped to 127 for eight before Liam Livingstone (43 off 24) went on a six-hitting spree to end the innings on a high.

Chakravarthy completed his second five-wicket haul in T20s when he bowled Jofra Archer with a googly.

While Ravi Bishnoi (4/46 in 4 overs) and Washington Sundar (0/15 in 1) proved expensive, Chakravarthy (5/24 in four), Hardik (33/2 in 4) and Axar Patel (1/19 in 3) kept things tight from their end.

Shami (0/25 in 3) did not set the stage on first but it was important that he had an incident free outing After being put in to bat, England made a promising start by coasting to 52/1.

England have struggled against the Indian spinners in the series but Duckett overcame that challenge with some audacious strokeplay on way to his second T20 fifty. He danced down the track, employed the scoop and reverse hits to unsettle the opposition attack.

He was the aggressor in his 76-run stand with skipper Jos Buttler (24 off 22) but the duo fell in quick succession to lose the momentum in the middle overs. Among the shots Duckett pulled off included a scoop over the keeper’s head off Shami’s second over.

When Shami marked his run up before toss, it was confirmed that he would be playing his first international since the ODI World Cup final in November 2023.

On a flat track, Shami, who replaced Arshdeep Singh as the sole specialist pacer in the playing eleven, was tasked with bowling the opening over of the match.

He induced a couple of play and misses in his opening spell that read 0/15 in two overs. Shami returned to bowl the 19th over which went for 11 runs, capping off an incident free outing.

He bowled balls close to 140kmph and got the ball to shape away, allaying concerns over his fitness.

At 83 for one, England were on course for 200 with Duckett going all guns blazing and deep batting line-up to follow.

However, the momentum shifted India’s way when Chakravarthy had Buttler caught behind with the latter getting a faint tickle attempting a reverse sweep.

Duck was holed out at deep mid-wicket in the following over from Axar, leaving England at 87 for three at the halfway mark.

Chakravarthy removed Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton off successive balls in the 14th over to make matters worse for England.

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. 

Up 2-0 in the 5-match series, the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian team could go on to make one or two changes in the third T20I against England on Tuesday. India had to make a forced change in the team for the second T20I because of Rinku Singh‘s unavailability due to an injury. Dhruv Jurel replaced him in the team but failed to leave a mark with the bat. Mohammed Shami continued to warm the bench despite his return to full fitness. In the third T20I, India could decide to make some changes.

With a 2-0 cushion to bank on, skipper Suryakumar and head coach Gautam Gambhir could decide to bring veteran pacer Shami into the playing XI while Shivam Dube is another player who could be thrown in the mix, in place of Jurel.

At the top, no changes are expected, with Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma opening for the hosts. Tilak Varma has made the No. 3 spot his own with some fine performances while captain Suryakumar would be keen to return to form with a better show at the No. 4 position.

Hardik Pandya slots in at the No. 5 spot, while either Jurel or Dube would follow him at No. 6. Washington Sundar, Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi, are all but certainties in the spin-bowling attack, though one of them could be benched to make space for Shami in the team.

Harshit Rana is another pacer who could be tried, though Shami has a better chance of getting into the team. Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakravarthy are absolute pillars in the XI, being two of the most important players in the team’s bowling attack.

India’s likely playing XI against England, 3rd T20I: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Dhruv Jurel/Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi/Mohammed Shami/Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy

File photo of Mohammed Shami© BCCI/Sportzpics