Cricket Update: Rohit Sharma To Lead Team India In Champions Trophy, Shubman Gill Vice-Captain; Shami In, Siraj Out

India has announced their squad for the Champions Trophy 2025, which will be captained by Rohit Sharma, with Shubman Gill serving as vice-captain.

The team features Jasprit Bumrah. However, chief selector Ajit Agarkar stated in the press conference that Bumrah's fitness status would be confirmed by the BCCI's medical team in early February.

The team also marks the return of another fast bowler Mohammed Shami. The same team will also face off against England in a three-match One-Day International (ODI) series.

Harshit Rana has been added exclusively for the ODI series, considering Bumrah's fitness situation. KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant have been selected as the two wicketkeepers for both the Champions Trophy and the ODI series.

However, there is no room for fast bowler Mohammed Siraj in the team, with India choosing to include left-arm fast-bowler Arshdeep Singh instead.

Other team members include Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ravindra Jadeja.

The tournament, featuring eight teams, will consist of 15 matches, each 50 overs long, and will take place in both Pakistan and Dubai. The anticipated match, between long-standing rivals India and Pakistan, is scheduled for 23 February in Dubai.

India's first match will be against Bangladesh on 20 February, and their final league match will be against New Zealand on 2 March.

In the tournament, Group A comprises the reigning Champions Trophy winners and hosts, Pakistan, accompanied by India, New Zealand, and Bangladesh.

On the other hand, Group B includes the 2023 Cricket World Cup victors, Australia, with Afghanistan, England, and South Africa also in the mix.

Prior to the ICC Champions Trophy, India is scheduled to commence a three-match ODI series against England, starting on 6 February. The five-match T20I series against England is set to kick off on 22 January, prior to the ODIs.

The inaugural match will take place in Kolkata, followed by the second and third matches in Chennai and Rajkot on 25 and 28 January, respectively. Pune will be the venue for the fourth match on 31 January, while the series finale will be hosted by Mumbai on 2 February.