India are set to commence their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign on Thursday against Bangladesh at the Dubai International Stadium. Skipper Rohit Sharma has confirmed the team will rely heavily on their spin attack during the tournament.
India entered the competition after a tumultuous eight months marked by contrasting performances. Following their triumphant T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, the team experienced setbacks in Test cricket but found renewed momentum in white-ball contests.
Concerns about the future of veterans Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and coach Gautam Gambhir loomed large ahead of the tournament. However, a commanding performance in the recent white-ball series against England appears to have quietened the critics.
The experienced trio showcased their prowess, while emerging players such as Shubman Gill, Axar Patel, and Shreyas Iyer proved their mettle.
This combination now forms the backbone of India’s quest for the Champions Trophy, which returns after an eight-year hiatus.
Finding the right mix
India's 142-run victory in the final ODI against England provided much-needed clarity on the team's strengths.
The Gambhir-Rohit partnership endured a dismal Test series in Australia but remains determined to deliver in the multi-nation tournament.
The team’s prospects could influence the future of the captain-coach combination. As India aim to reclaim the title they last won in 2013, the stakes are high for both Sharma and Gambhir.
“We ticked all boxes”: Rohit
Addressing the media ahead of the opening fixture, Rohit Sharma expressed confidence in the team’s preparation and approach.
"We play this tournament as we've played any other tournament, whether it's an ICC event or any other series we play for India. Playing for India means a lot to all of us. I think there is enough quality, depth, and experience in the team for us to come here quite confident and be confident about what we want to do here. Then we will see how it goes," Rohit stated.
Also read: India's first CT 2025 match against Bangladesh on Feb 20
He further emphasised the team’s aggressive mindset, carried over from the ODI World Cup 2023.
"Against England, we played the brand and the ethics of the team that we wanted to. When you're playing a series before an ICC tournament, you want to tick off certain boxes, and I thought we ticked off those boxes and played very good cricket," he added.
Shubman Gill, the world's top-ranked ODI batter since 12 February, earned special praise from the captain. With 259 runs in his last three ODIs, Gill is expected to anchor India’s batting order.
"With Gill, we know the numbers are crazy. If you look at it, he's been superb for us in the last 3-4 years. Obviously, there's a reason he has been elevated to vice-captain of the team as well. Hopefully, he has a great tournament, and it will eventually help us achieve the things we're looking to achieve," Sharma remarked.
In spin India trust
India have fielded the most spin options among all teams in the tournament, carrying five spinners in their 15-member squad. Apart from frontline spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy, the team also boasts multi-skilled players in Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and Ravindra Jadeja.
Defending this strategy, Rohit said, "They are two spinners and three all-rounders. I am not looking at them as five spinners. Those three guys can bat and bowl. The rest of the teams have fast-bowling all-rounders. You don’t ask them why they have six fast bowlers."
"We work on our strengths and build our team around it. Axar Patel and Washington Sundar give us a different dimension to our squad. They give us a lot of depth. That's why we wanted to try and bring players who have two skills rather than just one," he added.
Gambhir's gamble
For Gautam Gambhir, the Champions Trophy represents an opportunity to redeem himself after India’s disappointing Test performances. Having been part of the 2017 team that lost to Pakistan in the final, Gambhir is eager to reverse India’s fortunes.
However, his tendency to experiment with the line-up remains a point of contention. Changes such as dropping Shreyas Iyer, altering KL Rahul's batting position, and under-utilising Kuldeep Yadav have raised eyebrows.
Consistency will be key if India hope to reclaim the Champions Trophy, and the coach will need to strike a balance between flexibility and stability.
Dubai conditions and strategy
India's decision to stack their squad with spinners could prove decisive on the slow and potentially worn pitches of Dubai. These surfaces, influenced by the recent ILT20 tournament, are expected to favour spin bowling.
India are likely to play four spinners in most matches, replicating the formula that succeeded against England.
India vs Bangladesh: Head-to-head
Historically, India have dominated Bangladesh in ODIs, winning 32 of their 41 encounters since 1988.
The last Champions Trophy meeting saw India comprehensively defeat Bangladesh by nine wickets in the 2017 semi-final at Edgbaston.
Broadcast and Streaming Details
The India vs Bangladesh match will be broadcast live on Star Sports and Sports18. Viewers can stream the match live on JioHotstar. Match starts at 2.30 PM.
Probable playing XIs
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh.
Bangladesh: Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali Anik (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Nahid Rana.
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