India, irrespective of which tournament they participate, are always a huge threat to other teams for they posses some of the finest cricketers of the world. The defending champions will hope to win back-to-back Champions Trophy, as the eighth edition is set to start from June 1, 2017.
Eight teams, including India have been clubbed into two different groups. All the other seven teams have announced their squads for the upcoming ICC event, besides India. The Board of Control for Cricket in India is not happy with the ICC, regarding the new revenue sharing model, which will lead to huge loss for India. As a result, there are concerns that India might pull out of the Champions Trophy.
Though there is no official confirmation of India skipping the ICC event, one does not really see the Men in Blue giving up on such a big tournament like the Champions Trophy.
Hence, the squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy could be announced anytime soon, after the BCCI Special General Meeting (SGM) on Sunday. Here is a look at the probable 15-member squad for the competition.
- Openers - Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane
Rohit and Shikhar might have been injured for some time, but both the players have shown decent form in IPL 2017 to justify their place as openers for Champions Trophy. The duo have been wonderful in the past, and should get the nod for their role in the playing XI, from the first match itself.
With the CT set to be played in England, it is always better to pick a player, who is technically sound with the bat as pitches in England will assist swing bowling. Also, Rahane can replace Rohit or Shikhar, in case either gets injured.
KL Rahul will be a big miss.
- Number three – Virat Kohli (c)
Kohli will be the first person in the team sheet since he is the captain of the India team. He may not be in brilliant form, but Kohli is India's best player across all formats. His leadership skills and his batsmanship will be crucial to India's chances in Champions Trophy.
- Middle order - Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni (wk) and Kedar Jadhav
India will have a experienced middle order in the form of Dhoni and Yuvraj, who are brilliant cricketers, and have the ability to play under all situations. They can use their bat to rebuild and also finish off India's innings as well. The duo will have a major role to play for India in the ICC event.
Kedar Jadhav, the pocket-size dynamo, is known for his attacking prowess with the bat, and his presence will give the likes of Dhoni and Yuvraj the licence to play fearless cricket. They can trust Jadhav to contribute lower down the order.
- All-rounder – Hardik Pandya
India have always been short of all-rounders, but in Pandya, the Men in Blue have found a quality player. He will be more than handy in England, as he bowls at a decent pace. Besides his bowling, Hardik is more than handy with the bat too in the lower order.
- Spinners - Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav
R Ashwin will be India's trump card in the Champions Trophy. Having not played in IPL 2017 due to hernia problem, the off-spinner will be fresh. Ashwin along with Jadeja will shoulder India's responsibility in the spin department.
Kuldeep Yadav, after some brilliant performances in IPL 2017, should get the nod ahead of Yuzvendra Chahal. His chinaman bowling could have an edge, and add variety in the spin department.
- Pacers - Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami
With England hosting the event, India need to have their best pacers for the ICC event, and India have some great competition in the pace department. Umesh, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah and Shami are the best choice, and it remains to be seen the number of pacers, India will take to England.
Either way, you look at it, Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah could be the first two pacers to be picked while Shami, who always had injury problems, could be the third bowler. Yadav will be a brilliant back-up for these pacers.
Predicted India squad for Champions Trophy 2017
Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli (c), Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami
