Rajasthan Royals Schedule IPL 2025: Inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Rajasthan Royals will kick off their IPL 2025 campaign against 2024 runners-up Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), in an away game. RR started off well in IPL 2024, but fell away in the second half of the season, ultimately losing to SRH in the Qualifier 2. RR retained captain Sanju Samson, alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag and Sandeep Sharma ahead of the mega auction. Their costliest purchase came in the form of English pacer Jofra Archer. The team also welcomed Rahul Dravid as their head coach ahead of IPL 2025.

Here is Rajasthan Royals’ IPL 2025 schedule in full:

25 March: GT vs PBKS – Ahmedabad – 7:30 PM IST

1 April: LSG vs PBKS – Lucknow – 7:30 PM IST

5 April: PBKS vs RR – New Chandigarh – 7:30 PM IST

8 April: PBKS vs CSK – New Chandigarh – 7:30 PM IST

12 April: SRH vs PBKS – Hyderabad – 7:30 PM IST

15 April: PBKS vs KKR – New Chandigarh – 7:30 PM IST

18 April: RCB vs PBKS – Bengaluru – 7:30 PM IST

20 April: PBKS vs RCB – New Chandigarh – 3:30 PM IST

26 April: KKR vs PBKS – Kolkata – 7:30 PM IST

30 April: CSK vs PBKS – Chennai – 7:30 PM IST

4 May: PBKS vs LSG – Dharamshala – 7:30 PM IST

8 May: PBKS vs DC – Dharamshala – 7:30 PM IST

11 May: PBKS vs MI – Dharamshala – 3:30 PM IST

16 May: RR vs PBKS – Jaipur – 7:30 PM IST

RR IPL 2025 Squad: Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Sandeep Sharma, Jofra Archer (Rs. 12.50 crore), Maheesh Theekshana (Rs. 4.4 crore), Wanindu Hasaranga (Rs. 5.25 crore), Akash Madhwal (Rs. 1.20 crore), Kumar Kartikeya (Rs. 30 lakh), Nitish Rana (Rs. 4.20 crore), Tushar Deshpande (Rs. 6.50 crore), Shubham Dubey (Rs. 80 lakh), Yudhvir Singh (Rs. 35 lakh), Fazalhaq Farooqi (Rs. 2 crore), Vaibhav Suryavanshi (Rs. 1.10 crore), Kwena Maphaka (Rs. 1.50 crore), Kunal Rathore (Rs. 30 lakh), Ashok Sharma (Rs. 30 lakh).

It aligns with head coach Gautam Gambhir’s high-risk-high-reward approach but can India’s Champions Trophy squad, having lost its game-changing pace talisman Jasprit Bumrah to injury, deliver the goods at the ODI showpiece? The answer to that question is not particularly straightforward given the audacious calls taken to decide the final 15. The selection risks start with the drafting in of five spinners. The Dubai-bound flight will feature Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, and Varun Chakravarthy in a spin-heavy bowling attack.

Harshit Rana has replaced Bumrah with the more experienced Mohammed Siraj relegated to the group of non-travelling reserves alongside young batter Yashasvi Jaiswal and all-rounder Shivam Dube.

India’s matches will be held in Dubai, a venue where pacers have found more success traditionally in the 50-over format.

Available data shows that the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, where India will play all their matches, has hosted 58 ODIs since 2009, and pacers have taken 466 wickets here at an average of 28.6 and an economy of 4.8.

The spinners have combined to take 334 wickets till now at the DICS, and their average goes up to 30 but with a slightly better economy of 4.2 “The Dubai surface has a bit more carry than say in Sharjah, and the pacers here have found some good success and that’s why Pakistan has picked more pacers in their squad, though they are supposed to play only a couple of matches here,” a former national selector told PTI.

“If you use the new ball well, then you can have a good purchase there. I am not faulting the selection of Varun. He is in good form, but I would have liked to see one more experienced pacer in that side, someone like Siraj,” he added.

Spinners’ role in Dubai?

From outside, having five spinners looks like an over-estimation of the conditions. But the management took a chance with Chakravarthy because of his excellent recent form.

Chakravarthy has been trusted to deliver in a multi-nation tournament, after his failure to do so in the T20 World Cup 2021 at the same venue.

What might have tilted the scales in his favour is the fact that none of India’s league stage opposition in the Champions Trophy — Bangladesh, Pakistan and New Zealand — have played him before.

The way he managed to trouble England in the ongoing home series on account of being an unknown entity for the visitors also worked to his advantage.

But on the flip side, it leaves Kuldeep Yadav in peril. With Jadeja and Axar being the first-choice spinners considering their batting prowess, the fight for the third spinner’s slot will be between Kuldeep and Chakravarthy.

If India follows the template of the recent second ODI against England at Cuttack, Chakravarthy can pip the left-arm wrist spinner, at least in the initial stages of the Champions Trophy.

Why Siraj was overlooked?

Another selection paradox is placing Rana ahead of Siraj as Bumrah’s replacement for a tournament in which teams will have to do the tight-rope walk of three matches in the league phase.

Conventional thinking says that experience more than explosiveness matters in such events, but the wise men went ahead with Rana.

According to skipper Rohit Sharma, ineffectiveness with the old ball led to Siraj’s omission from the marquee event.

On that count, Rana has already given them two examples of his ability to strike when the white ball loses its lacquer.

In his T20I debut, Rana was the sixth bowler, a much-debated concussion substitute for Shivam Dube, and walked away with game-changing figures of 3 for 33.

In ODIs, Rana went for a few runs, but showed the gumption to bowl across three spells in three various passages of the match.

The risk that the management has taken is to trust Rana to grow in his role quickly and deliver in a high-pressure tournament as and when he is called for.

Why was Jaiswal dropped?

A common line of thinking can be that the selectors wanted a bowler with some mystery element about him in the squad once Bumrah was ruled out with a lower back injury.

So, they picked an in-form Chakravarthy. Fair call. But why select him in place of Jaiswal, an opener? Should they have replaced a spinner for him? Perhaps Washington Sundar could have been the one to be omitted to accommodate Chakravarthy.

However, in one shot, the selectors have also avoided the opening conundrum that haunted them in the first ODI against England at Nagpur.

It was tough to accommodate Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer in the same eleven but an injury to Virat Kohli gave them a temporary relief.

Once Kohli came back, Jaiswal missed out in the second match, and the big wigs did not want an encore in Dubai.

India is now placing confidence in Rohit, who made a hundred at Cuttack, and Shubman Gill, who scored two fifties in as many ODIs against England, to deliver at the top consistently in the Champions Trophy.

They are hoping that Kohli will find a way to return to his imperious scoring ways and will not put pressure on the rest of the middle-order.

The management has taken the risk of believing that the top five will be in fine fettle throughout the tournament.

They have also risked the traditionally iffy fitness of Hardik Pandya and his ability to plug the gap as the third seamer behind Mohammed Shami and Arshdeep Singh or Harshit Rana.

Looking at the squad, India seem to have taken one risk too many. Will they get the desired high reward? Or will they falter? For now, it’s the charming uncertainty of a risk-ridden path.

India’s final squad for the ICC Champions Trophy, beginning from February 19, sprung a few surprises as marquee pacer Jasprit Bumrah was snubbed for the tournament due to his back injury, as Harshit Rana replaced him in the team. Opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was part of the team in the earlier roster, was dropped as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) wanted to make space for Yashasvi Jaiswal’s inclusion. The said changes, reportedly, were brough in on the recommendation of head coach Gautam Gambhir.

In total, India are now taking five spinners to Dubai for the Champions Trophy while the number of pacers in the team is only three. Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra raised quite a few valid questions as he shared his opinion on the selection of players for the ICC event.

“I thought Bumrah’s absence will force selectors to pick Siraj. Have 4 pacers in the squad. It’s also interesting to note how quickly the plan to play Yashasvi in the XI ahead of Iyer is abandoned…to the extent that Yashasvi isn’t even a part of the CT squad,” he said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

I thought Bumrah’s absence will force selectors to pick Siraj. Have 4 pacers in the squad.

It’s also interesting to note how quickly the plan to play Yashasvi in the XI ahead of Iyer is abandoned…to the extent that Yashasvi isn’t even a part of the CT squad.

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) February 12, 2025

Chopra doesn’t feel India needed five spinners for the Champions Trophy, especially keeping in mind that the team will be playing its matches in Dubai, a venue that hasn’t aides spinners statistically in recent times.

“India has picked 5 spinners for Champions Trophy. FIVE. Sharjah would be an ideal venue for this squad. Spin To Win. Dubai?? Not so sure. That surface hasn’t helped spinners as much…ever. Also, I really hope that Kuldeep isn’t benched for Varun. Play both if you must…but Kuldeep has to be India’s premier spinner,” another post from Chopra read.

India has picked 5 spinners for Champions Trophy. FIVE.

Sharjah would be an ideal venue for this squad. Spin To Win.

Dubai?? Not so sure. That surface hasn’t helped spinners as much…ever.

Also, I really hope that Kuldeep isn’t benched for Varun. Play both if you must…but…

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) February 12, 2025

Even in the batting unit, India’s squad looks a little thin with the removal of Jaiswal. Rishabh Pant, as per the playing XI for the 2nd ODI against England, remains the only ‘cover’ in the batting unit.

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.

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has cast doubt on Yashasvi Jaiswal’s inclusion in India’s final 15-man squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy, suggesting that the young opener may no longer fit into the team’s plans. Chopra believes that with India’s batting order settling down, Jaiswal might not be needed, and Mohammed Siraj could instead be drafted in as a replacement, particularly if Jasprit Bumrah fails to recover in time.

Jaiswal, who made his ODI debut in the series opener against England in Nagpur on February 6, looked promising before falling to Jofra Archer for 15. However, with Virat Kohli returning to the XI for the second game, the 22-year-old was immediately dropped, raising questions about his role in India’s long-term plans.

Chopra, speaking on his YouTube show, stated that India’s top-order is looking stable with Rohit Sharma back in form, Shubman Gill as vice-captain, and Virat Kohli an immovable presence. He further added that Shreyas Iyer’s match-winning 59 off 36 balls in the first ODI had potentially reshaped India’s approach to squad selection.

“The batting order is looking set. Rohit has started scoring runs. Shubman Gill is our vice-captain, and he is in good form. Virat Kohli will eventually return to form. Even if he doesn’t, god forbid, India are not going to drop him,” Chopra said.

“Shreyas Iyer is at No. 4. At No. 5, whether it’s KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, or Axar Patel, the slot is settled. One of the two—Rahul and Pant—will have to be left out. And then you have an extra batter. You might not require Yashasvi Jaiswal. That’s a possibility.”

Chopra hinted that India initially wanted a left-right combination in the top order but have seemingly abandoned that approach after Iyer’s impact innings.

“You wanted to maintain a left-right combination in the batting order. Now, you won’t be able to do it. You have played your hand, and that has backfired,” he added.

With Bumrah’s availability for the Champions Trophy still uncertain, Chopra suggested that Siraj could find a way back into the squad. Siraj was not included in the ODI squad against England or the preliminary Champions Trophy squad, but his experience could be crucial if India requires three frontline fast bowlers.

“You can’t play Yashasvi. So, if you can’t play him, why take him to the Champions Trophy? I think Mohammed Siraj’s chances of playing are higher than Yashasvi Jaiswal’s,” Chopra explained.

“I see a strong chance for Mohammed Siraj to be included, especially if you feel the need for experience in the bowling attack against Pakistan. You might want to go in with three fast bowlers—Siraj could come in. Then, Yashasvi might have to make way.”

India’s strike bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who sustained a back injury during the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in January, is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. While he was named in India’s preliminary squad, his participation hinges on a final fitness assessment.

While the return of India stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, among others, to the domestic circuit has grabbed the eyeballs of cricket experts and fans alike, former India cricketer-turned-pundit Aakash Chopra has drawn out a major talking point. Chopra stated that all the senior players have played only one Ranji game, as stars who played in the first week of games (from January 23) are skipping the second week (from January 30). Only those India stars who missed the first week games are playing in the ongoing week.

Barring Ravindra Jadeja, all senior India regulars who played in the January 23 games are giving the ongoing round a miss.

Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant are some of the big names who participated in the January 23 ties, but are not playing any further.

Chopra criticised this aspect, stating that this has made it seem like playing in Ranji was a token punishment for the players.

“Virat Kohli is playing, but many others are not, like Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal or Shreyas Iyer. Ultimately, all the players have played their token Ranji Trophy match, marked their attendance and left,” Chopra said, speaking on his YouTube channel.

“Virat Kohli hadn’t played that round, so he is playing now.”

“What does it tell you? This (playing Ranji Trophy) was a bit of a punishment posting. But playing first-class cricket shouldn’t be a punishment, it should be a privilege,” said Chopra.

Following India’s 1-3 loss in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, the BCCI had implemented a 10-point guideline, one of which stated that available players must participate in domestic cricket.

However, most of the India regulars have opted to play just one game.

Rohit, Jaiswal, Shreyas, Gill and Pant all lost their respective Ranji games. Ravindra Jadeja, however, starred for Saurashtra and took home the Player of the Match award.

Rohit Sharma, along with several other top India stars like Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, made a return to Ranji Trophy after a considerable gap last week. The decision to play the Ranji Trophy matches, for their respective state teams, came after BCCI’s directive that domestic cricket is a must. However, Rohit Sharma’s return in the match against Jammu and Kashmir was not memorable. He failed to score big and Mumbai lost the match. 

Now, according to a report in Times of India, Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer will miss defending Ranji Trophy champion Mumbai’s final group-stage clash against Meghalaya starting Thursday. All three players featured in the sixth round of the Elite Group A match for Mumbai against Jammu and Kashmir at the Sharad Pawar Academy Ground in BKC, where the visitors recorded a commanding five-wicket victory. However, none of Mumbai’s India stars, except for Shardul Thakur who scored brilliant knocks of 51 and 119, managed to make a significant impact, as a disciplined Jammu and Kashmir side kept chipping away to wrap up the game inside three days.

The report also said that there is a chance that on February 2 (which will be the fourth day of the Ranji Trophy match), Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal are supposed to join the Indian cricket team camp ahead of the ODI series against England starting February 6. 

   

“Rohit, Jaiswal and Iyer are all likely to attend the BCCI’s Naman Annual awards in Mumbai on February 1. Next day (February 2), they are supposed to report for a short camp to Nagpur before the three-match ODI series against England,” the report quoted a source as saying. 

Rohit, Jaiswal, and Iyer are all part of the Indian ODI squad for the series against England, scheduled for February 6, 9, and 12, followed by the Champions Trophy. For 23-year-old Jaiswal, this will be his maiden call-up to the national side for ODI cricket A source in the Mumbai Cricket Association confirmed the unavailability of the three players, including Iyer.

“He will join the Indian team,” the source said. The Indian team is currently engaged in a five-match T20I series, leading 2-0, and Iyer will join his teammates to prepare for the upcoming ODIs. 

The defeat to Jammu and Kashmir has severely dented the hopes of Mumbai, led by Ajinkya Rahane, of advancing to the quarter-finals. Mumbai will now need to beat Meghalaya by a big margin and hope for favorable results in other matches to keep their quarter-final hopes alive.

With PTI inputs

File photo of Yashasvi Jaiswal© X (Twitter)

Seamers Mukesh Choudhary and Rajneesh Gurbani struck lethal blows as Maharashtra thumped Baroda by a whopping 439-run margin in a Group A league match, a result that kept defending champions Mumbai alive for the knock-out stage of Ranji Trophy, here Sunday. Trying to save the game and get a point in the bargain was Baroda’s primary objective on the final day as chasing 617 was simply out of question but they failed miserably and were all out for just 177 in 36 overs. Maharashtra’s victory has left Mumbai in a tricky spot to qualify for the knockout stage.

Former CSK left-arm seamer Mukesh took 5 for 76 while Gurbani, who has switched first-class side from Vidarbha to Maharashtra had 3 for 54 to show for his efforts.

Jammu and Kashmir are on top of group A with 29 points from six games followed by Baroda, who are on 27 points from equal number of matches. Mumbai remained on 22 from six games after their defeat to J&K on Saturday.

However Ruturaj Gaikwad’s Maharashtra has created an opening for the 42-time champions as Baroda will now have to at least get a first innings lead against Jammu and Kashmir in their final game.

If Baroda gets three points, then both Baroda and Jammu and Kashmir, with 30 points each will qualify for the knock-out stages while Mumbai will be out in the group league stage itself.

Mumbai play their last match against wooden spooners Meghalaya, who will be relegated to ‘Plate Group’ having lost all their six games.

It is expected that Mumbai, who will play at BKC will thump the minnows and get another seven points from the game, which will take their tally to 29 from seven games.

But to qualify for Mumbai will need Jammu and Kashmir to at least take a first innings lead if not win outright, which will take their tally to 32 and Baroda will be stuck at 28.

In case Jammu and Kashmir lose and stay put on 29 and Mumbai win with bonus points, then net run rate (NRR) will be the deciding factor.

None of the other five teams– Tripura, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Services, Odisha have any chance of qualification.

Rajasthan vs Vidarbha

Skipper Akshay Wadkar’s brilliant century and spinner Harsh Dubey’s 10-wicket match haul steered Vidarbha to a stunning 221-run victory over Rajasthan in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B game, here on Sunday.

Captain Wadkar (139), Yash Rathod (98), and all-rounder Nachiket Bhute (87) played crucial knocks in the second innings, guiding Vidarbha to a commanding total of 428/9 declared.

Left-arm spinner Dubey (5/51 in 19 overs) then sealed the match with his outstanding performance, completing a 10-wicket haul as Rajasthan were bowled out for just 107, despite Vidarbha starting with a 100-run first-innings deficit.

The win earned Vidarbha (36) six points, solidifying their position at the top of the points table.

In a tricky situation in the second essay, Wadkar first partnered with Rathod to forge a vital 94-run stand.

After Rathod, who fell agonisingly short of his century, was dismissed, Wadkar and Bhute put on a massive 172-run partnership that firmly put Vidarbha in control.

Resuming at their overnight score of 358/7, Vidarbha added 70 more runs on day four before declaring their innings, setting Rajasthan a daunting target of 329 runs.

Wadkar’s 269-ball innings featured 14 fours and a six, while Bhute struck six fours and three sixes in his entertaining knock.

The 22-year-old Dubey and off spinner Akshay Wakhare (3/2 in 6.3 overs) then dismantled Rajasthan’s batting lineup, sharing eight wickets between them to bowl out the hosts in just 43.3 overs.

Rajasthan began their chase on a steady note, with both openers looking comfortable. However, Shubham Kapse provided Vidarbha with the breakthrough, dismissing opener Zubair Ali (22).

Dubey, who had taken five wickets in the first innings, struck again, dismissing Abhijeet Romar and Deepak Hooda in quick succession.

Rajasthan continued to lose wickets at regular intervals as Dubey and Wakhare bowled superbly in tandem, sealing a comprehensive victory for Vidarbha.

In other Group B matches, Andhra drew with Puducherry while Hyderbad defeated Himachal Pradesh by an innings in 43 runs.

Brief Scores 

In Nasik: Maharashtra 297 and 464/7 decl. Baroda 145 and (target 617) 177 in 36 overs (Mukesh Choudhary 5/73, Rajneesh Gurbani 3/54). Maharashtra won by 439 runs. Points: Maharashtra 6 Baroda 0.

In Agartala: Tripura 212 and 375/7 decl (Mandeep Singh 124 not out, Bikramkumar Das 85, S Sharath 66).

Services 294 and (target 276) 101 in 19.1 overs (Ravi Chauhan 53). Match Drawn. Points: Tripura 1 Services 3.

In Shillong: Meghalaya 198 and 294 in 92.2 overs (JS Sachdeva 82, Sunil Roul 4/61).

Odisha 548/7 decl. Odisha won by an innings and 56 runs.

In Jaipur: Vidarbha 165 and 428/9d in 138.1 overs (Akshay Wadkar 139, Yash Rathod 98, Nachiket Bhute 87; Kukna Ajay Singh 5/104) defeated Rajasthan 265 and 107 all out in 43.3 overs (Zubair Ali 22; Harsh Dubey 5/51) by 221 runs.

In Puducherry: Andhra 303 and 319/6d in 82.4 overs (Karan Shinde 119 not out; Ankit Sharma 3/83) drew with Puducherry 260 and 152/0 in 46 overs (Ganga Sridhar Raju 75 not out, Jay Pande 59 not out; Lalit Mohan 0/39) *In Hyderabad: Hyderabad 565 in 168.5 overs beat Himachal Pradesh 275 & 247 (Shubham Arora 66, Ankit Kalso 44; Tanay Thyagarajan 6/118, Anikethreddy 4/46) by innings an 43 runs. 

The competition for places in the Indian team is such that one or two deserving players often miss out, no matter the series or tournament. As the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad for the Champions Trophy and England ODIs, wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson missed out despite his exemplary average in the 50-over format. Harbhajan Singh, former India spinner, admitted being heartbroken to see Samson miss out. While the argument remains, in whose place, should Samson have been picked, Harbhajan feels space could’ve been made for the Kerala cricketer.

“Truly, I feel bad for him. He scores runs but he is dropped. I know you can only select 15, but I feel his batting suits the format. He has an average of 55-56, but he isn’t even there as a second wicketkeeper. When we talk about selecting him, people ask, in whose place? Places can be made,” Harbhajan said in a chat with Switch.

Samson isn’t the only player whose absence left Harbhajan disappointed. The former India spinner also questioned the omission of leg-spinnner Yuzvendra Chahal, who isn’t a part of India’s T20I series against England either.

“Sanju isn’t there. Yuzvendra Chahal isn’t there, too. You’ve picked four spinners, two of them are left-armers. You could’ve included a leg-spinner for variation, too. Chahal is a superb bowler. I don’t know what wrong he did that he doesn’t fit this team,” said Harbhajan.

Young opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal was picked for the ICC Champions Trophy but Harbhajan doesn’t think he would get to open or play either at No. 3 or No. 4.

“I thought Yashasvi would open, but now, I don’t feel that. Shubman Gill is the vice-captain, so he will play. And Yashasvi won’t bat at three or four, because Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer will occupy those spots,” said Harbhajan.