Champions Trophy 2025: BCCI likely to delay the announcement of India's squad

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likely to delay the announcement of the provisional squad for the Champions Trophy 2025, as per a cricbuzz report.

"While it was initially expected that the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee would reveal the squad for the ICC tournament by January 12, adhering to the guidelines of the International Cricket Council (ICC), they are now likely to request for an extension," the report said.

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Ahead of every global event, the ICC requires participating teams to submit a provisional squad at least one month prior, with the liberty to make changes later. However, this time, the ICC requested the squads five weeks before the start of the tournament. The BCCI, citing recent commitments in Australia for the Test series, is expected to request for more time.

Before the Champions Trophy, Team India will face England in five T20Is and three ODIs, with the series running from January 22 to February 12. This series against England offers a perfect opportunity for India to gain momentum in limited-overs cricket ahead of the marquee tournament in Dubai. The Champions Trophy will also feature a high-stakes match between India and their arch-rivals Pakistan.

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India, a two-time Champions Trophy winner, has been placed in Group A alongside Bangladesh, New Zealand, and Pakistan.

India last played a 50-over series in August last year against Sri Lanka, where they were comprehensively outplayed, losing the series 2-0. Interestingly, India fielded a full-strength lineup in that series, featuring captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

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Who could make the squad?

As Rohit Sharma clarified during an interview during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he is not done yet and is certain to be part of the team traveling to the UAE for the marquee event. However, the fitness of the world’s best bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, remains a big question. If Bumrah manages to regain fitness, he is expected to serve as Rohit's deputy on the field.

India will also rely on their white-ball specialists to strengthen their lineup.

Other slots for all-rounders could be filled by Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, and Riyan Parag. As for wicketkeeping, the selectors will face a tough choice between Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson.

In the bowling department, the return of Mohammed Shami could provide a significant boost to the squad. Meanwhile, the spin department is likely to feature Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav, adding variety and depth to India's attack.