India will announce their 2025 CT squad later this week
Photo : AP
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Harbhajan Singh picked India's squad for the 2025 CT squad
- India are yet to pick the squad for the mega-event
- Harbhajan picked Yuzvendra Chahal, who has not played an ODI for 2 years
Harbhajan Singh made two surprise picks while naming India's 15-man squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy as suspense looms over the Men in Blue's team for the mega event scheduled to take place from February 19 to March 9. The Ajit Agarkar-led Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has yet to make the announcement despite the International Cricket Council's (ICC) deadline of January 12 to submit the provisional squad passing.
Harbhajan left out KL Rahul from the squad and claimed that the wicket-keeper spot should go to one between Samson and Pant. The 2011 World Cup winner did not name a backup wicketkeeper and claimed he prefers Samson, as Pant had a long tour of Australia.
"I think one among Sanju Samson or Rishabh Pant should be picked. I feel Sanju should be preferred because he had played in South Africa. Rishabh played well in Australia, but it was a long tour, so if he is rested, it's not a big thing," said Harbhajan on his YouTube channel.
Harbhajan left out Jadeja and claimed he prefers Axar Patel in the role. The former off-spinner picked two wrist spinners in his squad. While Kuldeep Yadav was the natural first-choice option, he also named Yuzvendra Chahal in the squad despite his exile from the national team. Chahal last played an ODI for India nearly two years ago in January 2023.
Harbhajan named both Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy in his squad and picked Tilak Verma. Tilak scored two back-to-back T20I tons for India on the South Africa tour in November but has played only four ODIs for the Men in Blue and was not part of the squad that travelled to Sri Lanka last year.
The 44-year-old named Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj in the squad.
The batting unit was largely settled with Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, and Shreyas Iyer finding a place, and call-up for Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is still waiting to make his ODI debut.
Harbhajan Singh's India Squad For Champions Trophy 2025:Rohit Sharma (C), Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rishabh Pant/ Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal
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