Champions Trophy 2025: India - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, And Threats

Rohit Sharma [Source: AP Photos]

The ICC Champions Trophy is all set to take over the cricketing fraternity. The tournament will start on 19th February, with the first match between Pakistan and New Zealand.

One of the contenders and favourites of the tournament, India, will start their campaign against Bangladesh on 20th February. India will be eager to go one better than the last edition of the title and adorn the Special White Blazer after the grand finale. 

As the Asian giants get ready to start their campaign, we will look at the Indian squad for the Champions Trophy 2025 and delve deep to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of the team.

India Squad For ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Batters: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul
All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar
Bowlers: Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakravarthy

Non-Travelling Substitutes: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj and Shivam Dube.

Strengths Of Indian Team For ICC Champions Trophy 2025

1. Variation And Depth In Batting Order

If wee take a look at the most probable XI that India would be using in most of their games during the tournament, then the batting line-up with the stats of the batters looks like this - 

Stats of Indian batters in ODIs [Courtesy: @DataWrapper]

Inference: The ODI average of the Indian batters for the Champions Trophy 2025 squad ranges from 21.70 to 60.16. This is a quiet big range but the interesting thing to note here is that the top five have an average of over 45. This shows that the team has quite a few consistent batters in the line-up. 

A look at the strike rate shows that range is from 85.32 to 111.14. This shows that the line-up has a good mix of grafters and quick run scorers. 

So, able batters till number 8, consistent run scorers at the top and presence of powerful finishers. These points indicate the variety and depth of the Indian batting line-up for the Champions Trophy 2025.

2. Distribution Of Responsibility In The Batting Line-Up

In the last decade or so, most of the responsibility in the Indian batting line-up was on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. However, leading to the Champions Trophy, these two legends are not at their peak. But the positive for India is that the other batters are putting their hands up. Here is a look at the performance of Rohit and Virat vs other batters in ODI series against England - 

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli vs Other Batters - Recent ODI Form [Courtesy:@DataWrapper]

Inference: The stats show that the other batters of the Indian team like Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel have stepped up and shared the responsibilities alongside Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the recent ODIs. This a big positive for the Indian team as they can depend on some of these batters during the tournament and it will also reduce the pressure on the two Indian mavericks. 

3. Variation In The Spin Department

First of all, let us take a look at the spinners that will be boarding the flight for India to Champions Trophy 2025 - 

Inference: Barring a right-arm wrist spinner, the Indian team has almost all the possible varieties of spinners in cricket at the moment in their squad. This gives the team great variation and flexibility. The management can select their crop of spinners for each game depending on the opponent and the playing conditions.

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Weaknesses Of Indian Team For ICC Champions Trophy 2025

1. Inexperience In The Pace Department

Matches played by pacers of each team [Courtesy: @DataWrapper]

Inference: The table shows that the three prime Indian pacers have the third least number of ODIs among themselves in the tournament. Interestingly, out of the 114 ODI matches that the Indian pacers have played 103 have been played by Mohammed Shami. The other two pacers have played only 11 ODIs combined. The numbers are a clear indication that the Indian pacer bowling is one of the most inexperienced in the tournament. The nerves of these pacers will be tested throughout the tournament and it could be one of the biggest weaknesses for the team.

2. Limited Time For The Combinations To Work

The Indian squad that will board the flight for the Champions Trophy 2025 has played just the three games in the series against England. So, the management did not get enough time to test and work the different playing combinations. Rohit Sharma as a skipper will have to take some risks and try out some of the bench players to see which combination works for them and would be sustainable during the tournament.

3. Absence Of Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of CT 2025 due to injury [Source: @mohamedyazerm/x.com]

During the T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, Jasprit Bumrah conceded only 12.20% of the runs conceded by the Indian bowlers, while picking up 23.43% of the wickets. This proves the impact and efficiency of the ace Indian pacer. His absence in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will definitely take away a lot from the effectivity of the Indian bowling and going into the tournament, it is one of their biggest weaknesses.

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Opportunities For Indian Team In ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Pakistan defeating India in Champions Trophy 2017 [Source: @ThisIsRagh/x.com

1. Improving From Their Show In 2017

India will have a chance of winning another ICC tournament. It would be two consecutive title wins for them in ICC tournaments as they won the T20 World Cup 2024. Notably, in 2017 India lost the final of the Champion Trophy against their arch-rivals, Pakistan. The Rohit Sharma-led side will be keen on bettering their show from the last edition and this time finish as the champions.

2. GroomingThe Future Generation Of Indian Pacers

Going into the tournament Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out due to injury and Mohammed Shami look half-cooked and 50% of the bowler that we know him to be. This presents the Indian management to groom their future generation of pacers in Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh, who will get a chance to prove themselves in high-octane clashes and under pressure.

Threats For Indian Team In ICC Champions Trophy 2025

1. Some Crucial Bowlers Having Less Game Time And Look Half Cooked

Mohammed Shami finished the ODI World Cup 2023 as the best weapon for India in bowling. He picked up 24 wickets in seven matches and looked unplayable and excellent, especially in big matches and under pressure. His being fit for the Champions Trophy is a huge boost for the Indian team, however, during the ODI series against England, Shami looked half-cooked and still not fully ready to take the stress of the Champions Trophy.

Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Shami are returning from injuries [Source: @imkuldeep1/x.com]

Spinners will play a crucial role for the teams in the Asian conditions. As a result, Kuldeep Yadav becomes very important to India's plans. However, he too is coming back from injury and the fact that he was able to pick up only two wickets in the two matches against England tells that he is yet to reach his full efficiency and potential. Thus two of India's most crucial bowlers look half-cooked and 50% of the bowlers they are and this looks like their biggest threat.

Predictions For India In Champions Trophy 2025

Though there are some holes in the Indian squad for the Champions Trophy 2025, they look like a side that will atleast make it to the semi-finals of the tournament.

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