Nitish Reddy And...? Rohit Likely To Pick These ODI Debutants In Champions Trophy Squad

Nitish Reddy could be picked in CT squad [Source: @ImTanujSingh/X]

India's promising all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy was incredible with the bat on day three of the MCG Test against Australia, slamming his maiden Test fifty to bail the visitors out of trouble. Coming at number eight, Reddy struck a valiant half-century under pressure and helped India avoid an embarrassing follow-on. 

For the unversed, Nitish Reddy received his maiden international call-up for a T20I series following his all-round exploits for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League. He eventually set the stage on fire, playing an outrageous knock against Bangladesh. Furthermore, he has been an asset for India in Tests, proving his worth with bat and ball in the high-voltage Border-Gavaskar Trophy. 

So, considering his red-hot recent form, India might consider picking him in their Champions Trophy squad. In fact, there could be several players, who haven't played an ODI, might make it into the Champions Trophy squad, as mentioned below. 

---

ALSO READ

Sanju Samson And...? Rohit Likely To Drop These India Stars From Champions Trophy Squad

---

Nitish Reddy

• Nitish Reddy has been sublime with bat and ball since making his international debut for India. He is high on confidence, having grabbed a million eyeballs with his stroke-play and quality seam bowling. 
• Given that India's new head coach Gautam Gambhir prefers several multi-dimensional players in the white-ball setup, Reddy could be fast-tracked into the ODI side even though he hasn't played a 50-over game for India. In 15 List-A innings, the Hyderabad all-rounder has amassed 403 runs at a strike rate of 95.27, while bagging 14 wickets in 20 innings. 
• If he is picked in India's Champions Trophy squad, Reddy can be the perfect back-up for Hardik Pandya, who has had an injury-prone career. 

Yashasvi Jaiswal

• Yashasvi Jaiswal's selection for the Champions Trophy should be a no-brainer for Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selection committee. The swashbuckling southpaw can provide India with a blistering start on Dubai's batting-friendly deck. 
• Jaiswal is in sublime form, having amassed the most runs for India in international cricket this year. So, considering his prolific form, it will be a blunder if the Indian management doesn't consider him for the Champions Trophy. In 32 List-A matches, Jaiswal has hammered 1511 runs at a superb average of 53.96 and a strike rate of 86.19. 

Varun Chakravarthy

• India's experienced spinner Varun Chakravarthy has been unstoppable since his comeback. Interestingly, despite performing admirably in T20Is, Chakravarthy has yet to receive his ODI cap. 
• The wily mystery spinner has bagged 43 List-A wickets in 18 innings at a magnificent strike rate of 21.1. Furthermore, considering Kuldeep Yadav recently picked up an injury, India might think of giving a wild card entry to Chakravarthy, who can ensure variety in their spin bowling attack. 

---

ALSO READ

Hardik Pandya Bids For Champions Trophy Selection; Set To Play In Vijay Hazare Trophy

---