Team India will begin their ICC Championships Trophy 2025 tournament by playing Bangladesh at their first match on February 20. All the group-stage matches of team India will be played at Dubai International Stadium. As the tournament is nearing, the fans have started predicting what combination of players India will field for their first match. Here, we will take a look at the probable playing 11 of team India for match against Bangladesh on February 20.
The performance of the Indian team in the last few series has not been very good and this is the reason why a lot will depend on the performance of Team India in the Champions Trophy. India will have to win this tournament and its first match against Bangladesh on Thursday will be the first step towards removing the current questions related to this team. However, the team management may have to face a lot of problems regarding the playing 11.
The Indian team has to play all its matches in Dubai. In such a situation, it will be a matter of thinking whether to keep three spinners in the playing 11 or to go with three specialist fast bowlers. However, India can go with three spinners. Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami are sure to play. Only two bowlers out of Varun Chakraborty, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh can get a chance. Hardik Pandya can play the role of the sixth bowler.
India is among strong contenders before the tournament, but will this team be able to overcome the absence of injured fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and perform well? Will Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma be able to bring back their glory days? Will young players be able to withstand the pressure by performing consistently well? Only time will tell, but the ICC tournament is like a boon for Indian players. Indian players feel comfortable in the ODI format and they will try to perform well.
All eyes will be on Kohli, Rohit and Gambhir
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Kohli, Rohit and even head coach Gautam Gambhir do not have much time as the impact of the setbacks received from the failures against New Zealand and Australia has not subsided. A poor performance in another tournament can create problems for these three. However, there are some good signs as well. Rohit scored a brilliant century and Kohli a half-century against England a few days ago, while under the guidance of Gambhir, India registered a brilliant victory of 4-1 in the T20 series and 3-0 in the ODI series against England.
Shubman Gill returns to form
Gill performed brilliantly and became the Player of the Series by scoring a century and two half-centuries in the three-match ODI series against England. However, the challenge in front of India in the Champions Trophy is quite different from the home series. India’s opponents in Group A, Bangladesh, Pakistan and New Zealand look much more motivated than the England they faced recently and even a defeat can change the entire equation of the league stage.
At what position will KL Rahul play?
Although India has performed well in 50-over cricket in the recent past, they will have to solve some selection related puzzles before facing Bangladesh. This starts with KL Rahul’s batting order. Will he bat at his preferred number five or will Axar Patel come above him and he will come at number six. This wicketkeeper batsman batted at number six in the first two matches against England, but in the last ODI he came at number five. It is quite likely that the team management will adopt flexibility and take a decision according to the situation of the match.
Making the right balance in bowling is also a challenge
However, getting the right balance in bowling will be a big challenge. One of Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana will be chosen to support main fast bowler Mohammed Shami as a new ball partner. Shami will also have to improve his performance. Rana has performed impressively so far and has the ability to trouble batsmen with his speed and bounce even on flat pitches, but Arshdeep is at the forefront of the race to share the responsibility of the new ball due to his left-arm angle and the variety present in his bowling.
India can go with three spinners
Apart from this, India is likely to play three spinners, while Hardik Pandya will be the fast bowling all-rounder. Here too, India will have to consider who will be the third spinner in the playing-11 after Ravindra Jadeja and Axar. India will have to make a difficult decision to choose between left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakraborty. India can take solace from the fact that Bangladesh is also going through turmoil and has been weakened by the absence of star players like Liton Das-Shakib Al Hasan.
India vs Bangladesh: Probable Playing 11 for ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, and Kuldeep Yadav.
Final Thoughts
India faces a strong position in the Champions Trophy because their team includes players with established experience as well as promising talents. A powerful hitting combination and versatile all-rounder player section together with potent bowling abilities transforms the team into an intimidating contender. India faces Bangladesh at Dubai in the first game of their Champions Trophy 2025 tournament which will take place on February 20.