After the conclusion of a long Test tour of Australia, India will now shift their focus on the white-ball action and will be gearing up for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025.
India suffered a 1-3 defeat in the five-match Test series against Australia, losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in over 10 years. However, they will be looking for the best possible results in the upcoming limited-overs assignments.
India will face England in a five-match T20I series that starts on January 22 in Kolkata, and then the two teams will face off in a three-match ODI series. The ODI series will work as a preparatory assignment for the Men in Blue for the Champions Trophy which is set to begin in February.
While there are massive speculations regarding India's possible squad for the marquee ICC event, star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah will be India’s vice-captain if there are no major fitness concerns.
As per a report in the Times of India, Bumrah, who led India in the first and fifth Tests of the recently concluded five-match series against Australia, will serve as Rohit Sharma’s deputy.
India last played a white-ball series in August 2024 against Sri Lanka and young batter Shubman Gill was India’s vice-captain in that series. In the past, Hardik Pandya has also served as Rohit’s deputy. The star all-rounder was India’s vice-captain in the ODI World Cup 2023 before being ruled out due to injury.
India’s other white-ball regulars Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, and Arshdeep Singh are almost certain to be picked for the Champions Trophy. However, it will be interesting to see if senior pacer Mohammed Shami, who last played for India on November 19, 2023, also finds a place in the side.
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Apart from Bumrah, who could be rested due to workload management, all other Champions Trophy-bound players are likely to feature in three ODIs against England. The three ODI matches are set to be played on February 6, 9, and 12 in Nagpur, Cuttack, and Ahmedabad, respectively.