The ICC Champions Trophy is all set to make a comeback after a long gap of eight years, which is scheduled to happen from 19 February 2025 in Pakistan and UAE (only for India matches). As the name suggests, this tournament acts as one of those platforms where it gives an ode to the right prolific teams who are at their best form amidst the competitive and dynamic cricketing landscape. 

Unsurprisingly, all the participating eight teams would be eager to triumph and don the white blazer, a customary ritual after winning the trophy. India has always been the face of consistency and a cricket powerhouse, making it one of the strong contenders for the title. The last time the Men in Blue won the coveted Champions Trophy was way back in 2013, under the captaincy of MS Dhoni. With the Indian squad being released for the clashups, here we ponder the lineup's two major strengths and weaknesses. 

India 15-man squad for Champions Trophy 2025: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-Captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana (Reserve)

2 Strengths:

Well-curated and reliable spinners department

Considering that India will be clashing in the daunting and flat conditions of the Middle East in UAE, it is not a surprise that it would primarily be constituting spin-friendly tracks. Pertaining to such aspects, India has made a side with a commendable spinmeister arsenal.

With the likes of Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and Ravindra Jadeja, the left-hand-dominated attack has been reliable with their spin and mysterious deliveries that could hinder the momentum of the opposition batters. Overall, the first and most significant strength to take away from the Indian side would definitely be their spinners. 

Robust mid-order core

Though there have been some slight ups and downs in India's top-order batting, it has always been the middle-order of the team that has created an enormous impact in obtaining pivotal runs. KL Rahul and, along with Shreyas Iyer, who will be coming back donning the blue jersey after a considerable amount of time, will be faces of the batting attack if the initial few starting batters falter.

Rishabh Pant could play the role of initiating the power-hitting mode of their batting innings. In addition, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, and Ravindra Jadeja's all-rounding abilities with the bat could help them get runs in the end stages of the game. 

2 Weaknesses:

Bewildering exclusions

India has always been a prominent side for having the right balance across all departments for such big and fierce tournaments, and in some cases, they have successfully obtained the desired results. But this time, the released squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy has sparked much debate among critics and fanatics regarding players who have been shockingly excluded or not even considered by the selectors' committee.

Especially in the case of Karun Nair, who has had a fantabulous Vijay Hazare Trophy stint as the captain of Vidarbha, averaging at over 750 with his willow, has got many fans disappointed in his exclusion. The squad has also neglected consistent fast bowler Mohammed Siraj, and many are surprised by this big step. Even the case of Sanju Samson is no different from the rest, and his name not being on the squad got many agitated, as he has been phenomenal in the white-ball international games with his swashbuckling approach and reliable hands behind the gloves. 

The injury woes and dilemmas

Injury for any sportsperson has always hindered a team-based sports' lineup, which could massively impact their route towards performing well in any competitive tournament. In this case, many star players of the 15-man squad are under the medical radar for detecting any probable major injuries. KL Rahul and Virat Kohli have backed out of playing the Ranji Trophy, citing niggles and discomfort. In the spinners department, Kuldeep Yadav has had a long-term groin injury, where his coming back to inform abilities would be a bit time-consuming.

Jasprit Bumrah has been having a probable lousy time with the back after carrying off commendable and valiant efforts in the 2024-25 BGT. As a precautionary measure, Harshit Rana is called a reserve player if Bumrah encounters a major injury, prompting him to stay away from the ball for the ICC tournament. So, from the names mentioned above, all the players are impactful in their aspects, and their speculated injury stories could be a potential weakness for the team's upcoming intense 2025 ICC Champions Trophy campaign. 

See Also: Jasprit Bumrah doubtful for the England ODI series