ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is set to begin from February 19 next month. This time, the tournament will be hosted by Pakistan under a ‘hybrid model.’ The matches will be held across three cities in Pakistan (Karachi, Rawalpindi, Lahore) and in Dubai. The opening game will be played between Pakistan and New Zealand in Karachi. Meanwhile, the Indian team will begin its campaign against Bangladesh on February 20.
There has been a delay in the selection of the Indian team, as the BCCI has requested more time.
A major update related to the Champions Trophy has now come to light. According to Cricbuzz’s report, there may be a delay in the announcement of the Indian team for this event. It was initially expected that the selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar would announce the preliminary (core) team by January 12, following ICC guidelines. However, there may now be a delay of about a week. The announcement of the Indian team is now likely to be made on January 18 or 19.
It is important to note that ICC events require participating nations to announce their preliminary (core) teams at least a month before the tournament begins, with the flexibility to make changes later. However, this time, the ICC has asked for the player list to be submitted five weeks prior to the tournament’s start, with a deadline of January 12. The BCCI, citing the ongoing Australia tour, may seek an extension from the ICC for the deadline. There may also be delays in the selection process for the upcoming three-match ODI series against England alongside the Champions Trophy.
Potential Indian team for the Champions Trophy: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel/Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav/Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, and Arshdeep Singh.