R Ashwin, a former India cricketer, has reviewed the national team squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 tournament. The squad was recently named by the BCCI selection committee and is very similar to the team that played in the 2023 World Cup.
Rohit Sharma, the captain, and Shubman Gill, the vice-captain are slated to open the innings, with Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, and Hardik Pandya to follow. The left-handers only come after that in the form of Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja or Washington Sundar.
“This template mirrors the 2023 ODI World Cup. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill open, both right-handed. Then there’s Virat Kohli. Shreyas Iyer likely bats at 4, given his strong performance in the World Cup. KL Rahul follows. At No. 6, it’s a choice between Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. Hardik occupies No. 7. We lack left-handed batters in the top seven. Outside the XI, we have Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant,” Ashwin observed during his ‘Ash Ki Baat’ conversation on YouTube.
Analyzing India’s playing XI, the veteran spinner questions whether Yashasvi Jaiswal will get a game.
“Jaiswal might only play if someone gets injured. He could have a chance against England. But what if he scores consecutive centuries? One option is to open with Jaiswal and Rohit, pushing Shubman to 3, followed by Virat at 4. This would place either Rishabh Pant or KL Rahul at 5. If Jaiswal plays, Shreyas Iyer would likely be dropped. While unlikely, India must capitalize on Jaiswal’s current form,” he stated.
R Ashwin also stated that Washington Sundar might be preferred in the playing XI, indicating that coach Gautam Gambhir trusts the Tamil Nadu all-rounder’s batting abilities.
“Another scenario involves Washington Sundar. I’m not biased, but Gautam Gambhir highly values Washington due to his batting. He can also be used as a floater. If you follow the World Cup format, you play either Jaddu or Axar at No. 6, Hardik at 7, and Washington at 8. This allows for three fast bowlers or Kuldeep and two pacers, maintaining balance with Hardik’s all-round skills,” he said.
R Ashwin stressed the importance of dew in Dubai, where India will play all of its matches. Ashwin says India should have considered Nitish Kumar Reddy rather than the three-finger spinners Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar.
“If Washington bats at No. 8, it weakens the batting. Ideally, he should bat at 8. Does it make sense to have a player like Nitish Reddy in the scheme of things? If Kuldeep plays at 9, it’s two pacers and three spinners. With Nitish, he could bat at 8, allowing Kuldeep at 9 and two fast bowlers. This would provide the luxury of four fast bowlers and two spinners. I don’t know if he was considered,” Ashwin said.
“Kuldeep is a lock at No. 9, as the primary spinner. Among the finger spinners, I think one fast bowler could have been accommodated. I’m sure there were discussions,” Ashwin added.
R Ashwin acknowledged that India will likely follow the 2023 World Cup template.
“It’s difficult to exclude KL Rahul given his excellent ODI and World Cup performances. Rohit and Gill will open, Virat at 3, and Shreyas at 4. At 5, either KL or Pant, with KL likely. At 6, it’s between Jaddu and Axar. Hardik at 7.
Washington Sundar at 8 might not be feasible if dew is a major factor. In that case, Kuldeep Yadav would bat at 8, and the team would likely go with all seamers – Arshdeep, Bumrah, and Shami. In the 2023 World Cup, we lacked batting depth from No. 8 onwards. These are the crucial questions that need to be addressed,” he concluded.
R Ashwin’s India XI for ICC Champions Trophy:
Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja/Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, and Jasprit Bumrah
