Rohit Sharma is set to lead the Indian team in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced that the skipper will present in the press conference on Saturday (January 18) when the ODI squads will be announced for the upcoming home series against England and the forthcoming ICC Champions Trophy.

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India set to announce the squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will begin on February 19, while India will start their journey on February 20 with the Group A match against Bangladesh. Pakistan has the hosting rights for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, but India will play all their matches in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

Before the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, India will host a five-match T20I series and another three-match ODI series against England. The T20I series will begin on January 22, and the ODI series will start on February 6. 

The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 runners-up India played only three ODIs in 2024 when they toured Sri Lanka and lost the three-match ODI series by 2-0. 

Rohit Sharma's Test captaincy slightly overshadowed his limited-overs success  

Rohit Sharma already announced his T20I retirement after leading the national team to win the second T20 World Cup trophy by lifting the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 trophy in the West Indies and the United States. While he is ready to restart his ODI leadership after the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 Final, India are set to make a fresh start, eyeing to set up a strong team for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, which will be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. 

Rohit is under pressure as a Test captain, as under his leadership, India lost the three-match home Test series against New Zealand by 3-0 and the five-match Test series Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Australia by 3-1. He is also struggling with the bat. However, the board and the team management are doing their best to set a path for a fresh start for Team India. 

While the IPL 2025 is almost two months away from the beginning, Delhi Capitals’ captain name has been decided, according to the latest media reports.

Delhi Capitals were busy at the mega auctions for the IPL 2025. They spent big money on players like KL Rahul (INR 14 crore), Mitchell Starc (INR 11.75 crore), T. Natarajan (INR 10.75 crore), Jake Fraser-McGurk (INR 9 crore), Mukesh Kumar (INR 8 crore), Harry Brook (INR 6.25 crore), Ashutosh Sharma (INR 3.80 crore), Mohit Shama (INR 2.20 crore), Faf du Plessis (INR 2 crore), etc.

However, Delhi Capitals have reportedly decided to choose a familiar face for the leadership role after the release of their last captain Rishabh Pant.

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Axar Patel will lead Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025

Axar Patel, who was the vice-captain of Delhi Capitals last season, has reportedly been selected as the captain for the upcoming IPL season. He made his IPL captaincy debut last season when the skipper Rishabh Pant was suspended for the match against the hosts Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where RCB won by 47 runs despite Patel’s half-century. 

Playing for Delhi Capitals since 2019, Patel has scored 967 runs and taken 62 wickets in 82 matches. The left-arm spinner is the third-leading wicket-taker for Capitals, and the left-handed middle-order batter scored three half-centuries for the team and has a batting average of 23.58.

Axar Patel just earns Indian T20I vice-captain role

Axar Patel was recently selected as the T20I vice-captain of the Indian national cricket team, who impressed with his all-rounder performances in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. In that tournament, he won the Player of the Match award in the semi-final against the defending champions England and also played a game-changing knock against South Africa in the Final. 

KL Rahul was expected to be the skipper of the Delhi Capitals. However, the present leadership choice is understandable as Rahul is under pressure, especially as a captain, which led to his exclusion from his previous IPL team Lucknow Super Giants. 

In the bustling world of Indian Premier League cricket, Gujarat Titans find themselves under new leadership, with Shubman Gill succeeding Hardik Pandya as the franchise’s captain. This transition comes at a crucial juncture for the team, which has reached the final in each of its two years in the tournament.

Shubman Gill: A New Captain

Gill’s ascension to captaincy marks a significant shift for the Gujarat Titans. Widely recognized as one of the best batters in the world, especially in limited-overs cricket, Gill brings a wealth of talent and potential to the leadership position. His recent performances in Test cricket, including a stellar showing against England with 452 runs in the series, underscore his versatility and growing stature in the cricketing world.

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Intrigue Surrounding Gill’s Captaincy

Despite his prowess with the bat, Gill’s elevation to the captaincy raises intriguing questions about his leadership capabilities. With limited experience at the helm at the game’s highest levels, there’s an air of curiosity about how Gill will navigate his new role. Ashish Nehra, the Titans’ head coach, expressed excitement about Gill’s approach, emphasizing the importance of his personal growth alongside his development as a captain.

“All of India, not just me. He’s someone who wants to compete in all three forms and play well. We are therefore eager to assist him in developing as a person rather than just a captain as a franchise and support team. He will be a better captain down the road if he develops as a person,” Nehra said.

Comparison with Hardik Pandya’s Captaincy

Gill’s journey as captain parallels Hardik Pandya’s tenure at Gujarat Titans. Like Gill, Pandya stepped into the captaincy role without extensive prior experience. Nehra highlights this trend, noting the emergence of new leaders in the IPL and the opportunities it presents for players to evolve both on and off the field.

Nehra added, ” Hardik had never led anywhere before leading GT. Currently, ten teams exist. This is not the initial instance. You’ll notice an increasing number of people, such as Shreyas Iyer and Nitish Rana, who captained KKR. All of these guys are having a fantastic time, so let’s see who can take advantage of that and advance again, first as a person then as a player.”

Gill’s Contribution as a Batter

Beyond his leadership responsibilities, Gill remains a vital asset to the Titans as a batter. His impressive IPL record, amassing 1373 runs at a striking rate of 147.79 over the past two years, underscores his ability to make significant contributions with the bat. With the added responsibility of captaincy, expectations are high for Gill to continue his batting exploits while leading the team effectively.