Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina recently gave an interview where he shared his thoughts about the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which is set to begin on February 19. This edition of the tournament will be held in a hybrid model, with matches taking place in both Pakistan and Dubai. Raina, who was part of the winning Indian team in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, expressed his hopes for the Indian cricket team’s performance in the tournament.

In the interview, Raina was seen supporting Rohit Sharma, especially after Rohit's recent struggles in Australia and back in India. Despite these challenges, Raina expressed his belief that Rohit will make a strong comeback. He showed his trust in Rohit’s leadership, saying,

"I hope Rohit Sharma wins this trophy once again."

Raina talked about the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, where both he and Rohit Sharma were part of the winning team. He shared that he wants to see Rohit lift the trophy again, just like they did in 2013. Raina believes that Rohit has the ability to do it again in the 2025 edition of the tournament. He expressed confidence in Rohit’s leadership qualities, saying that this time, as captain, it will be even more special. While in 2013, he was a player, now Rohit will lead the team, and Raina is hopeful that his leadership will guide India to another win.

Also Watch: Captain Rohit Sharma assures India's best attempt to win ICC Champions Trophy 2025

In the interview, Raina also talked about the future of the Indian cricket team, especially in terms of leadership. When asked about Shubman Gill and his potential to take on a leadership role, Raina confidently said,

"Absolutely, I think he is the next Virat Kohli for the Indian cricket team."

Raina showed his belief in Shubman’s abilities. As Shubman has been appointed vice-captain for this tournament, Raina believes this is a great opportunity for him to prove himself. He mentioned that Shubman already has the experience to handle responsibilities, highlighting his leadership role with Gujarat Giants in the IPL.

Raina also shared his thoughts on Jasprit Bumrah, whose fitness remains a concern. Even though Bumrah is part of the squad for this tournament, his absence from the England ODI series has raised some questions. Despite this, Raina strongly believes that if Bumrah is fully fit and plays the entire tournament, he will deliver an incredible performance. Bumrah, being a key player for Team India, has Raina’s full trust. Talking about him, Raina said,

"Bumrah will be the man of the tournament if he plays all matches."

 

Suresh Raina said, 🗣️" Shubman Gill is the Next Replacement Virat kohli of Indian Team & I Hope Rohit Sharma to lift Champions Trophy 2025..!! (Star sports).

- Team india Next Star player For Shubman Gill...!!! 😎

pic.twitter.com/Mj6uLtslJG

— ARPIT• (@ImArpit_18) January 23, 2025

India Champions Trophy 2025 Squad

Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Washington Sundar, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Kuldeep Yadav.