Picture Credit: X
With the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 just two days away from start, all things do not seem to be right in the Indian camp. Although, the Rohit Sharma-led Team India departed for Dubai (UAE) on Saturday, February 15 for the marquee ICC event, reports have revealed some shocking details which were brought up before the team’s departure.
It is to be noted that India recently won the three-match ODI series against England, which was Gautam Gambhir’s first series win as head coach. Seeing the team produce some brilliant performances, the Indian middle-order finally looked a formidable one with the likes of Shreyas Iyer batting at number four position. Although, Iyer was set to miss out from the XI, but was included in the final hours with Virat Kohli suffering swollen knee.
Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer's case divides Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar: Reports
Despite the series win, reports have revealed that Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir aren’t on the same page. As per a report published in the Times of India, there was a “heated” selection meeting between the two, following Gambhir’s inclination to have left-right combination. Furthermore, the report also revealed that Gambhir went against Ajit Agarkar by backing KL Rahul over Rishabh Pant. It is to be noted that during the preliminary squad announcement, Ajit Agarkar called Rishabh Pant as India’s first choice wicketkeeper-batter, but Gambhir in the post match presser after India’s ODI series win backed KL Rahul for this role.
"Selection committee chief Ajit Agarkar, while announcing the Champions Trophy squad, had claimed Pant was the first-choice wicketkeeper. As it turned out, Pant is the only player in the squad who didn't get a game in the three ODIs in the England series. Sources indicated that there had been heated debate in the selection meeting around retaining Shreyas Iyer in the team and over the second wicketkeeper's slot,” a report in TOI read.
India’s squad for ICC Champions Trophy, 2025
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Non-travelling substitutes: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj and Shivam Dube.
