Updated 18 February 2025 at 12:00 IST
Champions Trophy 2025: Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir Look To Solve Big Problem Before India Face Bangladesh In Dubai
ICC Champions Trophy 2025: India start their campaign with a game against Bangladesh which will be followed by the IND vs PAK match to be played on February 23
ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Team India is all set to embark on a special journey, yet again, the journey of reclaiming the coveted Champions Trophy. It has been almost 12 years since India last won the Champions Trophy, and they'll like to replicate this heroic feat once again. India recently defeated England by a margin of 3-0 and set the tone perfectly, which can lead the 'Men in Blue' towards a victorious campaign. But how easy or tough is it going to be? How settled is the Indian side, and are all the combinations working? This is something that needs to be spoken about.
The Great Jasprit Bumrah Setback
Ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah will be out of action for Team India, and that is a huge setback. Bumrah played a huge role in India winning the T20 World Cup last year, and skipper Rohit Sharma will dearly miss his services. India will expect that youngsters such as Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana step up in order to solve India's bowling woes. India's bowling department performed exceptionally well during the recent India vs England series, but the conditions in Dubai will be far more different than what the Indian bowlers got in their own backyard.
The wickets in Dubai tend to be slow and might end up helping the spinners. This will be a major challenge for Gautam Gambhir and the entire think tank. Will they go with two spinners and choose to remain pace-heavy? Or do they have any other ideas in mind?
All Eyes On Team Combination
India have a pretty decent pace bowler in the form of Hardik Pandya. An all-rounder like Hardik Pandya doesn't come up every day. The Mumbai Indians skipper is equally good and effective both with the bat and the ball and can strike at regular intervals. India can also field three spinners, including the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Varun Chakravarthy. But where does it leave Kuldeep Yadav? When compared with Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav tends to be a bit more dependable with the bat. But Varun's accuracy is something that has bamboozled English batters on their tour to India, which might just prompt team Gambhir and his think tank to pick the Kolkata Knight Riders star ahead of chinaman Kuldeep Yadav.
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All eyes will be on Mohammad Shami, who is India's most experienced pacer. It is a complete shootout between Arshdeep and Harshit as India's second seamer. Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, and the coaching staff will have to brainstorm and get clarity on what they expect out of the bowlers, as this will be crucial to their Champions Trophy ambitions.
Published By : Jishu Bhattacharya
Published On: 18 February 2025 at 12:00 IST