Champions Trophy: Few ODIs, no Bumrah, but India's batting looks solid | Cricket News – The Times of India

Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma. (BCCI Photo)

NEW DELHI: A year before the 50-over World Cup at home in 2023, India played 30 ODIs in order to find the right balance and the right combination. As a result, India had a near faultless show – up until that forgettable evening in Ahmedabad.
With the ICC Champions Trophy in the offing, things are the complete opposite. Chasing a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final for a third cycle running, India have played the longest format for the most part. Since losing to Australia in November 2023, India have played just nine ODIs – the fewest of the eight teams that will compete in Pakistan and Dubai. Overall, only Ireland has played fewer matches than India in this period.
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In the last 12 months, that number has been reduced to just six matches – three in Sri Lanka and three against England at home this month. While Sri Lanka shattered India’s series streak over them, India had little trouble romping past England.

With few ODIs to go back on, selectors and team management had a tricky time deciding the playing XI versus England. In the first ODI, Harshit Rana played over Arshdeep Singh despite the left-arm seamer being part of the squad. Harshit, however, has made the journey to Dubai since Jasprit Bumrah’s injury.
The absence of Bumrah with a back injury is arguably the biggest challenge for India going into the Champions Trophy. “My concern is they [India] are going to miss Jasprit Bumrah, there is no doubt he will be a big absence and I think they will feel it very strongly,” wrote 2013 Champions Trophy winner Shikhar Dhawan in his column for the ICC.
“For me, he is the best bowler in the world, and his accuracy is hard to replicate. He is also a very calm character and that is crucial in a huge ICC event like this,” he added.

How do you find a suitable replacement for the Player of the Tournament in the T20 World Cup and then the Player of the Series in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy? By bringing in the highest wicket-taker from the ODI World Cup, for one.
After playing a lengthy will-he-won’t-he game on his return from multiple injuries, Mohammed Shami played his first India game in 14 months this January. In the four matches – two T20Is and two ODIs – the returns have been modest. He’s posted figures of 0/25, 3/25, 1/38 and 1/66 in the four fixtures. Maybe, more importantly, he hasn’t looked to be a fitness casualty. Even though he sported the brace during the nets session in Dubai, the 34-year-old has bowled full tilt without fuss.
Yet, there is no clear indication whether he will fill right back into the playing XI or will that place go to Harshit Rana. If form is an indication, the 23-year-old put his name right up the list with 3/33 in the T20I against England and then 3/53 in an ODI versus the same opponents.
Dhawan has predicted Rana to have a “breakout tournament.”
“I like his attitude, he is a go-getter and he is not afraid of anything. He accepts challenges and we have seen in the England series that he is in form. I am sure he will look to seize this opportunity and, if he does, he could provide a real x-factor for India,” stated the southpaw.
Solid batting lineup (at last)
After some horrible shows with the bat against New Zealand and Australia in the Test matches, India looked like a well-oiled machine against England in the shorter formats.
Shubman Gill, who slammed a ton in Ahmedabad, and Shreyas Iyer have been in good form which helps the team take away the dependency on the senior batters in Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. They, too, found runs in the ODI series. The India skipper produced 119 runs sandwiched between two single digit returns. Kohli, meanwhile, raised his bat after a half century in Ahmedabad.
At the top of the order, the Rohit-Gill combination has been a fruitful pairing for India. Since 2023, Rohit and Gill have made 1874 runs as an opening pair in 27 innings, averaging 72.07, including six 100-plus and 11 fifty-plus stands
Presence of Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and KL Rahul down the order gives the team the solidity it needs to produce big totals.
India’s Champions Trophy 2025 schedule:

India’s Champions Trophy squad:
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.