India's Champions Trophy squad will be unveiled on Saturday, January 18, with Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of the senior selection committee, addressing a press conference to reveal the 15-member lineup for the prestigious 50-over tournament. The tournament is set to take place from February 19 to March 9, 2025, across three venues in Pakistan and the UAE. In addition to the Champions Trophy squad, the team for the three-match ODI series against England, starting February 3, will also be announced on the same day.
Ahead of the squad announcement, the selection committee is scheduled to have a virtual discussion with captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir on Friday evening. The selection meeting will start at 12 pm IST on Saturday, with Agarkar addressing the media at 2 pm IST in Mumbai.
Expected names like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and KL Rahul are all likely to make the cut for the Champions Trophy squad. However, the inclusion of Jasprit Bumrah remains uncertain as it hinges on his fitness. Bumrah had suffered a back spasm during the final Test of the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy, leading to scans for further assessment. Although the full extent of the injury hasn't been disclosed, Bumrah was unable to bowl during the final two days of the Sydney Test, a match India lost by six wickets. Selectors reportedly want Bumrah to play at least one competitive match before the Champions Trophy to fully evaluate his fitness.
There is also the question of whether Karun Nair and Sanju Samson will be included. Despite Karun Nair's stellar performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy — where he scored 752 runs in seven matches, including five centuries — selectors are hesitant to bring him back into the fold just ahead of a major tournament. His last appearance for India was in 2017, and with intense competition for spots in the middle order, it is believed he may struggle to find a place.
Sanju Samson, who had been absent from the Vijay Hazare Trophy due to a decision to skip a training camp with Kerala, is also unlikely to feature in the Champions Trophy squad. The Kerala wicketkeeper-batter opted to stay in Dubai rather than attend the camp, which led to his exclusion from the state team for the domestic tournament. Samson is also set to play in India's upcoming five-match T20I series against England, starting on January 22.
India's selection decisions will be under heavy scrutiny, especially after their disappointing 0-2 loss to Sri Lanka in the ODI series in August 2024. That series marked the debut of coach Gautam Gambhir alongside captain Rohit Sharma, and the team's underperformance exposed some internal divisions. With the Champions Trophy just around the corner, these selection choices are pivotal in shaping the team's approach to the tournament.
