The India cricket team has qualified for the ICC Champions Trophy semifinal, so in the India vs. New Zealand match, they won’t have any pressure. They have won enough; now it’s time to learn. Yes, the match would decide who Team India faces in the first semifinal on March 4, but it also granted a unique opportunity to test the strength of your bench and be prepared if the need comes.
Team selection conundrum for New Zealand match
Indian captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir must be thinking about throwing those into the ring who haven’t yet gotten the chance to play in the ICC Champions Trophy. Yesterday, KL Rahul suggested that Team India won’t tinker with the playing XI. But the wicketkeeper also stated that he isn’t part of the leadership group that makes such decisions.
Reports suggest Mohammed Shami might not play, and Arshdeep Singh will come in for him. But Team India might want to make another change. A chance could be granted to Varun Chakaravarthy. The only question is in which way? Will Kuldeep Yadav be dropped for him or an all-rounder in either Axar Patel or Ravindra Jadeja?
What Kuldeep Yadav & Varun Chakaravarthy offer
There is merit in both. Kuldeep’s stock ball leaves the left-handers and comes in righties. For Chakaravarthy, it’s exactly the opposite. Another big difference is the speed. The left-arm wrist spinner hovers around the mid-80s, while the mystery spinner rarely, if ever, comes down to the late 80s. Since Dubai’s pitch is on the slow side, Chakaravarthy might be more useful in this regard.
Both might be equally difficult to pick. Not much separates them there. Kuldeep is a bigger spinner of the ball than Chakaravarthy, and he’ll have an edge there. The biggest factor, however, might be experience and proven track record. No one knows how good the mystery spinner would be when teams don’t have to attack him. Can he sustain the same level for 10 overs in international cricket? This is also yet to be seen.
Should Rohit Sharma & Gautam Gambhir play them both?
Since all the matches are played in Dubai, the Indian team management knows what Kuldeep brings to the table now. The best way to test both of them might be to play them together. Rest either Axar or Jadeja. That way you can judge how they perform in the middle overs when they are required the most. One also mustn’t forget that New Zealand might be India’s opponent in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy.
India’s squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammad Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Rishabh Pant (wk), Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy
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