The India cricket team’s batting seems set for the ICC Champions Trophy. The lineup was virtually set long before the tournament. Such is the strength of the team that Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant will have to sit out the entire ICC Champions Trophy.
“The batting order is looking set. Rohit has started scoring runs. Shubman Gill is our vice-captain, and he is in good form. Virat Kohli will eventually return to form. Even if he doesn’t, God forbid, India is not going to drop him. Shreyas Iyer is at No. 4. At No. 5, whether it’s KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, or Axar Patel, the slot is settled. One of the two—Rahul and Pant—will have to be left out. And then you have an extra batter,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
Why India should bring Jaiswal instead of Siraj in Champions Trophy squad
Because Team India doesn’t need to change the batting lineup, the former Indian opener feels that Jaiswal should sit out Head coach Gautam Gambhir wanted to play Jaiswal over Shreyas Iyer, but that couldn’t happen; the latter performed well in Nagpur and then couldn’t play both in Cuttack when Virat Kohli returned.
“You might not require Yashasvi Jaiswal. That’s a possibility. You wanted to maintain a left-right, left-right combination in the batting order. Now, you won’t be able to do it. You have played your hand, and that has backfired,” he added.
Since the team knows that Jaiswal won’t play for the team, Aakash suggests that Siraj be brought in. Why? The chances of him playing are much higher than Jaiswal getting a game with Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and KL Rahul present, all of whom are openers as well.
“You can’t play Yashasvi. So, if you can’t play him, why take him to the Champions Trophy? I think Mohammed Siraj’s chances of playing are higher than Yashasvi Jaiswal’s. I see a strong chance for Mohammed Siraj to be included, especially if you feel the need for experience in the bowling attack against Pakistan. You might want to go in with three fast bowlers—Siraj could come in. Then, Yashasvi might have to make way,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
India squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh
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