Captain Rohit Sharma and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar recently announced India’s 15-member squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 during a press conference in Mumbai. The announcement came amidst growing discussions about the BCCI’s newly introduced 10-point diktat aimed at regulating players’ conduct and team dynamics.
The 10-point guideline, formulated following India’s disappointing performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, includes measures such as limiting the duration of family stays during overseas tours to two weeks and restricting personal staff and commercial shoots. Rohit Sharma expressed his reservations about these guidelines, emphasizing the need for official confirmation from the BCCI before discussing them further.
Despite the controversy, the squad announcement was a significant moment, with Rohit Sharma leading the team and Shubman Gill named as his vice-captain. The squad includes prominent players like Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah, with Mohammed Shami making a return to the ODI side.
India’s Champions Trophy squad
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Rishabh Pant(wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal
Ajit Agarkar defended the guidelines, stating that they were intended to foster team bonding and improve overall performance. He reassured that the rules were not meant to be punitive but rather to ensure that players adhere to certain standards while representing the national team.
💬 💬 "This squad has a lot of depth."
Captain Rohit Sharma on #TeamIndia's squad for #ChampionsTrophy 2025.@ImRo45 pic.twitter.com/sYMBWNpchR
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 18, 2025
The announcement and the subsequent discussions highlight the ongoing efforts to balance individual player needs with the collective goals of the team. As the Champions Trophy approaches, all eyes will be on how the team navigates these new guidelines and performs on the field.
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