Harsha Bhogle picks his India squad for Champions Trophy 2025; no place for Jasprit Bumrah

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is scheduled to begin on February 19 with Pakistan and Dubai co-hosts the tournament. India, however, will play all their matches in the UAE, starting with the first match against Bangladesh on February 20. Amidst the speculation and excitement surrounding the announcement of India’s official squad, a renowned cricket analyst Harsha Bhogle shared his picks for the main event on his YouTube channel, making waves with a surprising decision.

Harsha Bhogle’s bold call to Jasprit Bumrah

In an unexpected decision, Bhogle has opted to exclude the ace pacer jasprit bumrah of his team, citing ongoing concerns about his fitness. Bumrah recently suffered an injury during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 and remains in doubt for the next Champions Trophy.

“Let me outline my assumptions and starting point. My guess is that two of India’s top bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna, may not be available due to injuries. If they are fit, great.” , Bhogle explained.

Bhogle predicts India’s squad for Champions Trophy 2025

Batting Lineup: First and Middle Order

seen Rohit Sharma i Shubman Gill as the main opening pair, with a solid partnership of over 70 runs in at least 25 innings together. In addition, he highlighted the potential of Yashasvi Jaiswala left-handed option that could be useful in conditions favoring slower bowling.

In the middle order, Harsha picked Virat Kohli without a doubt, as he remains a crucial figure with his consistency and class. Alongside Kohli, Shreyas Iyer makes the cut, thanks to his strong performances during the 2023 World Cup and his impressive national form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. With these two batsmen, Harsha convinced that India have a reliable core of five in the batting line-up, with the flexibility to adjust depending on the match situations.

Wicket keeping options iall-rounders

Harsha believed that India is fortunate to have two capable wicketkeepers who can also contribute with the bat. He chose KL Rahul as their main wicket-taker, provided he remains fit and available, given Rahul’s proven impact in ODIs. Next to Rahul, he mentioned Rishabh Pants, who has shown good form in domestic cricket and provides valuable runs in the middle order.

Hardik Pandya Harsha identifies him as the backbone of India’s ODI team. His ability to bowl consistently between six and seven overs provides crucial balance to the side. Harsha believed that Pandya is in excellent form, both in T20Is and the Vijay Hazare Trophy, making him indispensable at number six.

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Bowling options and spin department

Harsha opted for a balanced bowling attack – three seamers and three spinners. For seam attack, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj i Arshdeep Singh it’s their choices, assuming jasprit bumrah will not be available. Harsha sees Siraj and Arshdeep as bowlers who have already proven themselves in white-ball cricket, while Shami brings invaluable control and experience to the attack.

In the spin department, Harsha went with three finger spinners – Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja i Washington Sundar. He mentioned that these spinners tend to perform well in UAE conditions and their batting ability further strengthens their place in the team.

15th place decision and players on hold: Bhogle pick

15th place was a tough decision for Harsha. After much deliberation, he selected Varun Chakraborty as the final player of the squad. Chakravarthy has a proven track record as a match-winner in ODIs, and his variations could be crucial in the UAE conditions. To provide depth and flexibility, Harsha identified four standby players: Ravi Bishnoi, Nitin Kumar Reddy as an additional finisher, Umran Malik as a driver of security, and Karun Nair as a reserve batsman. These players offer valuable options and can step in at short notice if needed.

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