New Delhi [India], February 13 : Following a short nine-match ODI run after a heartbreaking loss to Australia in 2023 ODI World Cup final at home, Team India is heading into the ICC Champions Trophy with a lot of things settled and falling in place nicely, with perhaps the only glaring negative of Jasprit Bumrah being out due to injury poses a threat to the Men in Blue's run in another ICC tournament at a venue where they do not have the nicest memories.
The biggest match of the Champions Trophy between two arch-rivals, India and Pakistan, will be played on February 23.
India will start its campaign against Bangladesh on February 20 and their last league match will be against New Zealand on March 2.
India ended their run of ODIs after a 3-0 clean sweep series win over England at home, with plenty of positives to be proud of and some serious issues to ponder on not only for Champions Trophy, but the long road ahead for the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Bilateral series form
India played nine ODIs following the Ahmedabad heartbreak. India managed to win two out of three series they participated in, losing one to Sri Lanka in a shocker last year.
However, a new-look Indian side won in South Africa under the captaincy of KL Rahul in 2023-end and a full-strength India completed a 3-0 whitewash against England at home, denying them a chance to put their 'Bazball' brand of cricket under new head coach Brendon McCullum on display.
Out of their nine matches, India managed to win five, lost three while one game ended in a tie.
India's incredible ability to chase down totals has taken a small hit due to the Sri Lanka series, losing twice while chasing low totals, tying once and winning thrice.
India's series results: 2-1 series win over South Africa (away from home), 2-0 loss to Sri Lanka (away from home), 3-0 win over England (at home).
Positives
-A well-settled top-six: India has a top-six which has displayed red-hot form in ODIs during the last couple of years, consisting of skipper Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya. The role clarity within the team is top-notch. Rohit and Shubman maximise the powerplay as they have Virat's safety and reliability to fall back on. Once the top three give a fine foundation, the rest of the batting order wastes no time in attacking and dismantling their opposition.
-Presence of quality all-rounder options: In Hardik Pandya, the team has a quality pace bowling all-rounder with a wicket-taking pace of up to 140 kmph and several clutch batting/bowling performances to his name. On the other hand, Ravindra Jadeja's experience, and ability to unleash a spin-web, chip in useful runs and save valuable runs with his electrifying fielding makes him a real three-dimensional player. Other than this, the presence of left-handed all-rounders Axar Patel and Washington Sundar is an added bonus that gives India depth in every department. Axar's improvement in recent years as a batter and Sundar's potential at such a young age of 25 make them valuable figures.
-Winning momentum: Winning momentum counts, and India's clean sweep against strong side like England in their last series before the tournament will give them plenty of confidence.
-Several ODI specialists: In Gill, Rohit, Virat, Iyer and Rahul, India has five top-level batters who have mastered the art of ODI batting, irrespective of their form in other formats.
-Return of Mohammed Shami: Shami has finally made his return from an injury. While he has taken just two wickets in two ODIs so far against England, It is just about peaking at the right time. Moreover, just mere presence of Shami will have a positive effect on younger fast-bowling talent.
-Talent willing to walk the talk and improve: Within the captaincy of Rohit, India has played a much more attacking brand of cricket, and since the World Cup year back in 2023, India has largely walked the talk. If players have had some weakness, they have corrected it or have put active efforts to do so. During the recent ODI series against England, Shreyas was seen dispatching short-pitched deliveries, a weakness of his, into the skies for sixes. During his half-century against England, Virat offered a glimpse of good things that could follow, with some fine backfoot shots, cuts and sweeps, amid calls from experts and fans alike to use these shots.
Negatives
-Absence of Jasprit Bumrah: India's chances during the matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India's previous big assignment, could be easily summarised by pacer Mohammed Siraj's words in broken English after T20 World Cup 2024 title win: "I only believe on Jass Bhai, game changer player he is". After Bumrah's return from injury, India's chances at glory have hinged on Bumrah's spell as much as it has on the success of its batters, mainly Rohit and Virat. The "National Treasure" as he was called by Virat following the T20 WC title win, is however out of action due to back stress injury.
-Inexperience and shortage in main-pace bowling attack: With Bumrah out and Siraj sitting in non-travelling reserves, India's main-pace attack is severely inexperienced. While Mohammed Shami has returned to action, he has not looked in the best rhythm so far. Siraj on the other hand has displayed immense efficiency with the new-ball in his career so far in ODIs. Since 2022, Siraj has been India's top wicket-taker in ODIs, with 71 scalps at an average of 22.97 in 43 matches.
Without these two stars, India is left with Shami, a three-ODI-old pacer, Harshit Rana and nine-ODI-old quick Arshdeep Singh. While Arshdeep has a five-wicket haul to his name, and even Harshit impressed in the recent series against England, the inexperience is still glaring and could backfire on India. There is a lack of pace options with just three frontline pacers and all-rounder Hardik's valuable overs, which could go up and down depending on his body and potential injury scares.
-Concerns over forms of Rohit and Virat: While Rohit and Virat never really lost their form in white-ball cricket, there are concerns over their consistency due to their recent and highly underwhelming Test cricket returns. Fans and experts have placed their trust in "Ro-Ko" to repeat their World Cup 2023 heroics and play their contrasting roles to perfection, but at the back of the mind, a question sometimes still arises: Are age and reflexes truly by their side?
Virat's glaring problems against spin and outside-off stump deliveries are a major issue. While these have not affected his ODI game at any point in his career, it is absolutely right to be concerned. However, the blistering hundred by Rohit in the second ODI against England and the good-looking fifty by Virat in the final ODI give hopes of a strong performance by the Ro-Ko duo in the ultimate platform.
-Psychological disadvantage: Last time India was in UAE for an ICC event, it did not end well for India. It was the 2021 T20 World Cup in UAE. After Virat had announced that his T20I captaincy would end after this tournament, the game offered him the most devastating farewell possible from this role: A double whammy of 10 wicket loss to arch-rivals Pakistan and group stage exit after another loss to New Zealand. This time around, Pakistan and NZ are still in India's group. Will the history repeat itself in Dubai?
*India's top performers since the end of 2023 WC till now:
-Top run-getters: Shubman Gill (316 runs in six matches at an average of 52.66, a strike rate of 92.12, with a century and two fifties), Rohit Sharma (279 runs in six matches at an average of 46.50, a strike rate of 132.85, with a century and two fifties), Shreyas Iyer (271 runs in seven matches at an average of 38.71, a strike rate of 117.31, three fifties), Axar Patel (193 runs in nine matches at an average of 27.57, with a half-century) and KL Rahul (160 runs in eight matches at an average of 22.85, with one fifty).
-Top wicket-getters: Arshdeep Singh (14 wickets in six matches at an average of 16.64), Axar (eight wickets in nine matches at an average of 34.25), Washington Sundar (eight wickets in five matches at an average of 23.25), Kuldeep Yadav (seven wickets in seven matches at an average of 34.85) and Avesh Khan (six wickets in three matches at an average of 19.16).
India's squad for ICC Champions Trophy, 2025: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Non-travelling substitutes: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj and Shivam Dube. The three players will travel to Dubai as and when required.