Let us just say, India is doomed in a way. There are just so many options available for each slot, it is always difficult to pick the perfect squad, and even a better playing XI. This time around, there can be a big problem in picking the spinners for the Champions Trophy 2025. Okay, so who are the spinners in contention?
Ravindra Jadeja & Kuldeep Yadav Certainties for Champions Trophy 2025
Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar would be the primary slower bowlers, and Varun Chakravarthy & Ravi Bishnoi would be the ones with an outside chance. For now, let’s just assume that despite some great performances Varun and Ravi won’t make the cut. In Vijay Hazare Trophy, the former has picked 18 wickets in 6 matches at an average of 12. Ravi has picked 10 wickets in 7 matches.
Coming to the main spinners then. Ravindra Jadeja has the best stats now and makes it to the XI automatically — given his batting and bowling credentials. In 26 matches he played in 2023 — he played none in 2024 — he picked up 31 wickets at an economy rate of 4.6. In batting, he went on to score 309 runs at an average of 30.
| Bowler | Matches | Wickets | Economy |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 197 | 220 | 4.88 |
| Kuldeep Yadav | 106 | 172 | 4.99 |
| Washington Sundar | 22 | 23 | 4.70 |
| Axar Patel | 60 | 64 | 4.49 |
Kuldeep Yadav is also a certain pick in the XI too. In 2024, he picked up 4 wickets in 3 matches, and in 2023, he was just beyond excellent, where he bagged 49 wickets in 30 matches. A major wicket-taker for India in the middle-overs of the innings, he is a must, given his economy rate was only 4.61 in those matches.
Contention Between Axar Patel & Washington Sundar
Now, given that India will play all their matches in Dubai, and the pitch there might be conducive to spin bowling, the management will with three spinners in the XI, and now the fight is between Washington Sundar and Axar Patel. While the stats for the two spinners might not be good enough, for the limited opportunities they get in the 50-over format, but then the selection has still to be made.
Sundar, in 22 matches overall has only 23 wickets at an average of 27, and an overall economy rate of 4.70. As far as batting is concerned, he has only 315 runs, at an average of 24. He just has one fifty. Axar has 64 wickets in 60 wickets with an economy of 4.49. In batting, he has two fifties, scored 568 runs and an average of 20.
Here, the only reason why Sundar might make the cut is, to have some variation in the spin attack. If he is picked, he would be the only right-arm spinner in the team, while the others will be left-armers. So, that is clearly what puts the Tamil Nadu lad ahead. But then, one does not know with the selection panel, and who they select, They might just go with a spinner, who one thinks, is not also in contention. Till then, one can only wait for Jan 12.
India Predicted Squad for Champions Trophy
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Washington Sundar, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja.
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