The senior Indian men’s national selection committee is busy sorting out the squads for the upcoming home white-ball series against England and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. One key Indian wicketkeeper-batter is likely to miss the upcoming home series against England.

Before the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates will host from February 19, India will host England in a five-match T20I series and a three-match ODI series.

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KL Rahul is likely to be rested from the limited-overs series against England

According to a recent Times of India report, KL Rahul is unlikely to participate in the upcoming home white-ball series against England. While some Indian players, who were involved in the lengthy Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Australia, are likely to be rested for the upcoming home white-ball series against England, Rahul is one of them.

The TOI report claimed that Rahul’s place in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is confirmed. A TOI source claimed, “Rahul’s place is confirmed for the ICC Champions Trophy, and the selectors have decided to rest him against England.” In this case, the selectors can go with Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, or Ishan Kishan for the upcoming limited-overs series against England.

In the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, Rahul’s batting position wasn’t fixed. Still, he was the third-leading run-scorer for India on that Australia tour, where the right-handed batter scored 276 runs with an average of 30.66, including two half-centuries. He performed well in that series. 

While Rahul is an important name in the ODI squad, he hasn’t played a T20I match since the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final defeat against England. 

In-form Varun Chakravarthy can make ODI debut

The 33-year-old leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who has taken 19 wickets in 13 T20Is, is also on the line for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 selections. So, he can make his ODI debut in the upcoming home ODI series against England. He is the leading wicket-taker in the ongoing domestic List A tournament, the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25, with 18 wickets, including two fifers.