How will India line-up for the upcoming England Series and the 2025 Champions Trophy?

Following the completion of India’s long and disappointing tour Down Under, there will be big changes in the Test setup, however, that will have to wait as the focus now shifts to the white ball 50-over format with the deadline to announce the squads for the 2025 Champions Trophy (CT) less than a week away.  

The 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup finalists though, will face a tough challenge in picking their squad having played just the three One Day Internationals (ODI) in 2024 following their heartbreaking defeat on November 19, 2023 in Ahmedabad. 

While the team looks fairly settled in the format, there is no recent form to fall back on. Especially taking into consideration the fact that the ODI squad that played the 3-match series in Sri Lanka last August had a fair mix of regular and fringe players. 

The upcoming bilateral series against England will be India’s one and only chance to give their players some much-needed game time ahead of the Champions Trophy, which is set to kick off on 19th February with India beginning their journey against Bangladesh the following day in the UAE. 

However, with the deadline set a week from now, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is expected to name the squad for the bilateral series and the mega event at the same time with no major changes. 

The Top Order: Who will get the nod?

Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, despite their poor showings in Australia, are expected to remain in contention for the ODI series and the Champions Trophy, with the former set to resume his captaincy duties provided he was India’s highest run getter (157 runs) in their 0-2 series loss to Sri Lanka last summer. 

Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has arguably been India’s best batter over the last calendar year could be in contention for his ODI debut during the England series, however, dethroning Shubman Gill as Rohit Sharma’s opening partner will be a tough ask with the 25-year-old averaging 58.20 in the ODI format. 

Middle-order: A Selection Dilemma?

With India having suffered for many years in search of a solid #4, Shreyas Iyer in recent years seems to have answered the fans’ and team management’s prayers. Although not a regular starter in both the Test and T20I formats, the 30-year-old Mumbaiker has emerged as a perfect foil to link the Indian top and lower order. 

Moreover, his performances in the domestic circuit across all three formats suggests there isn’t a better player currently to take up the mantle of batting at #4. 

India’s biggest dilemma, though, will be picking their two wicketkeeper batters, with the likes of KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant & Sanju Samson all showing great class and form in the lead up to the marquee tournament. 

Samson, the 30-year-old Kerala batter has scored three centuries in his last two T20I series against South Africa and Bangladesh. Besides, Samson had also scored a hundred the last time he played an ODI for India, which was more than a year ago, however, he was not part of the ODI squad that toured Sri Lanka last year. 

The on-going Vijay Hazare Trophy would have been a good opportunity to prove his credentials in the 50-over format but with him missing the tournament due to disciplinary reasons, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee might give the nod to KL and Rishabh both on their form and ability to bat anywhere in the middle-order. 

All-rounders: Who Has The Edge?

Hardik Pandya hasn’t played any ODI cricket since his injury during the 2023 ODI World Cup, but the star all-rounder is currently playing in the VHT, but when fit, is an irreplaceable asset for the Men In Blue in white-ball cricket, as evident from his stellar performances during India’s T20I World Cup triumph last year. 

However, the team will be wary of a need to have a backup ready for their star man, and with his impressive showing in both T20Is and the recently concluded Test series in Australia, Nitish Kumar Reddy will be the perfect fit as the second choice fast bowling all-rounder. 

Two among Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel & Washington Sundar will be named in the squad. With Washington Sundar’s return to the Test team showing the team management’s faith in him, it is Ravindra Jadeja who will get the nod ahead of Axar Patel as India’s second finger spinner, as it is highly unlikely that the management will go with two left-handed finger spinners. 

Wrist-spinners: Kuldeep or Bishnoi?

Since the 2023 ODI Cricket World Cup, Kuldeep Yadav has established himself as India’s lead wrist spinner, however, a groin injury which was followed by a surgery means the 30-year-old is set to miss India’s bilateral series against England before the marquee tournament. Although there is still a cloud over his fitness ahead of CT 2025, if fit, one can expect Kuldeep to resume his duties as India’s lead spinner. 

However, if the 30-year-old does fail to recover in time, a call-up for the 24-year-old Haryana based spinner, Ravi Bishnoi, should follow. Bishnoi, in the last year, has emerged as India’s lead T20I spinner and has had a good Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), picking up 10 wickets with an economy under 7 runs per over. Moreover, his ability with the bat will give India more depth lower down the batting order. 

The Pace Attack: Can India re-enact WC 2023 Magic?

The trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami & Mohammed Siraj were one of the most lethal and fearsome bowling attacks alongside the Australians during the 2023 ODI Cricket World Cup, however, fitness concerns regarding both Bumrah and Shami, as well as Mohammed Siraj’s inconsistency means India might have to re-jig their pace attack in the lead up to the ICC tournament. 

Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who sustained back spasms, is likely to be rested for the majority of India’s home white-ball series against England, keeping an eye on the ICC Champions Trophy, starting from February 19.

Bumrah, who was India’s stand out player with 32 wickets in their 1-3 thrashing at the hands of Australia in the just-concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy, couldn’t bowl in the final innings of the series after suffering back spasms. However, according to sources privy to the development, the grade of Bumrah’s back spasm has not yet been ascertained. 

If Bumrah’s injury is in grade 1 category, then it will take a minimum two to three weeks of rehabilitation before he returns to the field of play. In case of a Grade 2 injury, the recovery can go up to six weeks while a Grade 3 injury, the most severe in nature, requires a minimum three months of rest and rehabilitation programmes.

Shami, on the other hand, was ruled out of action in 2024 because of a heel injury. He underwent surgery, completed his rehab and returned to the nets, but yet was denied a match fitness certificate by NCA doctors as he had a new swelling in his knee that ruled him out of the BGT series down under.

However, the Bengal star is certainly in contention for the Champions Trophy as he continues his recovery journey with Bengal in the VHT. If both Bumrah and Shami return to full fitness before the Champions Trophy, they walk straight into the playing XI. 

Arshdeep Singh, who was one of India’s main architects in their triumph in the Caribbean, has continued his excellent form, picking up 17 wickets in just six matches in the ongoing VHT. His ability to swing the new ball and provide breakthroughs as well as bowl at the death is a lethal combo that the Men In Blue have been lacking for many years. 

For the third seamer role, it’s a toss up between Arshdeep and Siraj. And looking at their recent form and their performances over the last calendar year, the left-handed seamer will easily walk into the team as India’s new ball specialist. 

India’s probable 15-man squad

Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah 

Back-ups in case of injuries

Sanju Samson, Tilak Verma, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj