Rohit Sharma’s position as the Indian captain in Tests and ODIs is currently under scrutiny, mainly due to his subpar performance in the recently held Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under.

Rohit missed the BGT opener in Perth due to paternity leave. In his absence, Jasprit Bumrah led India to a thumping 295-run victory. However, after Rohit joined the team ahead of the second Test, it all went downhill for the visitors as they crumbled to a 1-3 defeat.

By the end of the series, there were reports of tensions in the camp as dressing room conversations leaked in the media as well.

As Rohit opted out of the final Test in Sydney due to his extended lean patch, several media reports also suggested that he had fallen out with head coach Gautam Gambhir and could lose the captaincy.

But on Saturday (January 18), when chief selector Ajit Agarkar announced India’s squad for the England ODIs and 2025 Champions Trophy, Rohit’s captaincy position was reassured as he remained in the squad in leadership role.

The squad was unveiled in a media conference in Mumbai, where Agarkar was accompanied by Rohit.

During the presser, Rohit was asked about his equation and dynamics with Gambhir. To which, the Indian skipper replied, “Both of us are very clear on what we wanted to do. I am not going to sit here and discuss what goes behind the scenes, every game tactically.”

“But, it's very clear in my mind. But Gautam Gambhir is somebody... once we enter the field, he trusts what the captain is doing on the field. The basic talk that happens are only off the field. In the ground or may be in the changing room, once we take the field, it's all about what I do on the field. That's the kind of trust we have in each other. That's how it should be. That's about it,” he added.

Coming to the Indian squad, Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav have been included in the line-up for the Champions Trophy.

The same squad will face England in three ODIs in early February, with Harshit Rana added as a backup for Bumrah, who might not be fully fit for the first two matches of the series. The ace pacer’s participation in the third and final ODI is subject to fitness clearance.

Both Bumrah and Kuldeep were dealing with injuries leading up to the squad announcement. While Kuldeep has been recovering from hernia surgery since November, Bumrah picked up a back spasm during the fifth BGT Test against Australia in Sydney earlier this month.

India squad for Champions Trophy 2025: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Arshdeep Singh

India squad for England ODIs: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah*, Mohammad Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana