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

Debashis Sarangi∙ Updated: Dec 24 2024, 4:30 PM

Samson won't likely be included in India's CT 2025 squad [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X]Samson won't likely be included in India's CT 2025 squad [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X]

After crossing swords against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India will begin their preparations for the ICC Champions Trophy. Led by Rohit Sharma, the Men in Blue will be up against England in an ODI series as their final dress rehearsal for the showpiece event. 

As the ICC recently revealed, the Champions Trophy will be conducted in a hybrid mode, and the top eight teams will battle it out for the coveted title. However, as the Men in Blue gear up for the showpiece event, let's see which players might not be picked in India's Champions Trophy squad.  

Sanju Samson

  • Sanju Samson had an outstanding year in T20I cricket, establishing himself as Rohit Sharma's replacement at the top order. He enjoyed stellar success in the Bangladesh and South Africa series, slamming truckloads of runs with three scintillating centuries. 
  • However, the explosive keeper-batter has yet to be a regular in India's ODI squad. With Rishabh Pant returning to the team and KL Rahul donning the wicketkeeping gloves, India are unlikely to pick another keeper-batter in their Champions Trophy squad. 
  • Furthermore, there's Shreyas Iyer, who has been exceptional at number four, so considering there are three players ahead of him in the pecking order, we don't see Samson making it into the Champions Trophy squad. 

Mohammed Shami

  • India's experienced fast bowler Mohammed Shami played a pivotal role in their prolific performance in the ODI World Cup last year. However, the pacer sustained an ankle injury that ruled him out of action for a significant period. 
  • Although he was declared fit and participated in the Ranji Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Shami damaged his knee, eventually being ruled out of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. 
  • So, considering Shami has fitness concerns and India have several quality alternatives for him, we reckon the veteran cricketer won't likely make it into the Champions Trophy squad. 

Shivam Dube

  • India's experienced all-rounder Shivam Dube was one of the key players for India in the 2024 T20 World Cup. The swashbuckling southpaw hammered a blistering cameo in the all-important final, proving his worth as a finisher. 
  • However, the left-handed batter hasn't had a great ODI career, managing only 43 runs and one wicket in four matches. Also, given that India have more reputed all-rounders like Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja, Dube might not be picked for the Champions Trophy.