India Squad Announcement for Champions Trophy 2025 LIVE: Rohit Sharma to lead IND XI, Samson’s omission triggers outrage

Champions Trophy India Squad LIVE: Speaking at the press conference on Saturday, Rohit said, "Shami is a stalwart of white ball cricket. What he did recently in the World Cup was superb to watch... if you talk about everyone, you can't please everyone. So, at the end of the day, you try and make the best team and best possible squad to win games under different situations...,"

Champions Trophy India Squad LIVE: Speaking at the press conference, Rohit said, "We are not sure about Bumrah, whether he is going to play or not. So, we wanted to pick a squad where we have options of both somebody to bowl with the new ball and somebody to bowl at the back end. So, obviously, with Bumrah missing or not sure, we wanted Arshdeep to come and play that role of bowling at the back end. And Shami, obviously, we saw what he did with the new ball,"

"That is where we feel that Siraj's effectiveness comes down a little bit if he is not going to take the new ball. We discussed it at length about it and we are only taking three seamers there. Because we wanted all these all-rounders with us," the Indian captain added

Champions Trophy India Squad LIVE: During the press conference on Sunday, Rohit said, "Both of us are very clear in what we want to do. I am not going to sit here and discuss what goes behind every game tactically. But it's very clear in my mind. Gautam Gambhir is somebody, once we enter the field, he trusts what the captain is doing on the field. The basic talks that happen are only off the field, on the ground or maybe in the changing room. But once we take the field, it's all about what I do on the field. That's the kind of trust we have in each other and that's how it should be,"

Champions Trophy India Squad LIVE: In a post on X, Tharoor wrote, "The sorry saga of the Kerala Cricket Association and Sanju Samson -- the player wrote to KCA, in advance, regretting his inability to attend a training camp between the SMA and the Vijay Hazare Trophy tournaments, and was promptly dropped from the squad -- has now resulted in Sanju's exclusion from the Indian team," 

"A batsman who has a highest score of 212* in the Hazare, who averages 56.66 in ODIs for India (including a century in his last outing, against South Africa) is having his career destroyed by the egos of cricket administrators. Doesn't it bother the KCA bosses that by leaving Sanju out, they ensured Kerala didn't even reach the quarter-finals of the Hazare? Where does this leave him?" the Lok Sabha MP added.

Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul will be the two wicketkeepers in the side. Surprisingly, pacer Mohammed Siraj has not been named in the 15-man squad. Mohammed Shami makes a comeback to the ODI squad after the 50-over World Cup in 2023.

Rohit Sharma has confirmed his availability to play Mumbai's next Ranji Trophy game. 

Jasprit Bumrah will not be available for the ODIs against England. Hashit Rana replaces him against England. Meanwhile, Bumrah is unlikely to play against Pakistan and Bangladesh, according to Ajit Agarkar 

Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja

Rohit Sharma and Ajit Agarkar arrive in the press conference. The squad is coming up next. Rohit said he has to sit with BCCI secreatry Devajit Saikia on the BCCI's diktat on the family.  

The long meeting has finished and the captain and coach is believed to be on their way to the press conference.  

We are nearing the squad announcement. Mic testing is going on at the moment. Rohit Sharma and Ajit Agarkar to come soon.  

India (2002, 2013) and Australia (2006, 2009) are the most successful sides in Champions Trophy with two titles each. South Africa (1998), Sri Lanka (2002), New Zealand (2000), West Indies (2004) and Pakistan (2017) have won one title each. 

India and Pakistan are the only two teams yet to be announced. Check here how other teams have stacked up.   

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 starts on February 19. However, India will play all their games including knockouts in Dubai after BCCI's refusal to travel to Pakistan.  

The press conference was scheduled for 12:30 PM IST. It's 2:30 PM IST. Latest updates say the meeting is still on.  

Imagine the Indian pace attack if Jasprit Bumrah gets fit in time. With Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj, the Indian pace attack will be a nightmare for all teams.  

According to journalists sitting at BCCI HQ, the meeting is still on. 

Priyank Panchal is waiting too. 

What is all this long delay about? Is the BCCI waiting for NCA's report on Jasprit Bumrah's injury? Well, it can be so. In case Bumrah is picked, there will be a 'subject to fitness' written beside his name. 

The delay continues as journalists sit anxious at the BCCI office. In case you don't know, India will play Bangladesh (February 20), Pakistan (February 23) and New Zealand (March 2) in group stages. 

There is a strong tussle between Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal for Rohit Sharma's opening partner in the Champions Trophy 2025. Formers like Sunil Gavaskar and Irfan Pathan have put their weights on Jaiswal.  

All set for the big announcement in Mumbai.  

The wait is getting longer for India's squad announcement. Its been more than 40 minutes since the scheduled time. 

Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson, Mohd Siraj, Nitish Kumar Reddy

The stage is all set for the announcement with the tables and chair already in place. Team announcement soon. 

The squad announcement was scheduled for 12:30 PM IST. But it is believed that Rohit Sharma and Ajit Agarkar are in a meeting at the moment. 

For the unknown, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma rule the list for most runs in ICC tournaments (ODI World Cup, T20 World Cup, Champions Trophy). Kohli is leading the pack with 3616 runs, followed by Rohit's 3276 runs.     

The wait continues as the BCCI get ready to announce the squad soon. Ajit Agarkar and Rohit Sharma to address media soon.  

Ajit Agarkar and Rohit Sharma have arrived at the BCCI headquarterfor the press conference.  

With just few minutes to, Sunil Gavaskar opines that Yashasvi Jaiswal should be in the squad, after his wonderful 2024.     

We are just few minutes away from the announcement of India's Champions Trophy squad. Who will be IN and who will be out? Stay tuned to this place for all latest updates. 

According to former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif, Sanju Samson should be preferred over Rishabh Pant in the Champions Trophy 2025 squad.  

Sanju Samson skipping Vijay Hazare Trophy hasn't gone down well with the BCCI who made it mandatory for all the players to play domestic cricket. It is highly unlikely that Samson will be a part of ODI setup. 

Following his consistent performances in recent times, there has been huge call for Yashasvi Jaiswal to be included in the squad, considering he adds variety at the top of the order. If Jaiswal is selected, it would put him in direct competition with KL Rahul as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer mainly make the top four. It is assumed that Jaiswal could be given a chance in the ODI series against England and prefer Rahul for the ICC event.

Recently, karun Nair has grabbed headlines with his majestic run in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Does he stand a chance to be in the India fold for the first time in 8 years? Nair got Sachin Tendulkar's praise recently. 

According to a report in Espncricinfo, Jasprit Bumrah is likely to make the squad but subject to fitness. There has been no update on the India pacer since his back injury in the Sydney Test against Australia. 

Champions Trophy News Live: Speaking to PTI, Nair said, "I've not done anything differently. There is no secret. I think it's just years of hard work and persistence, you know, the coming together of all of it. And probably you can say, taking each day as a new one and making sure that I respect every single innings that I play,"

Champions Trophy News LIVE: In a post on X, Sachin wrote, “Scoring 752 runs in 7 innings with 5 centuries is nothing short of extraordinary,@karun126. Performances like these don’t just happen, they come from immense focus and hard work. Keep going strong and make every opportunity count!”

Champions Trophy News LIVE: Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kaif said, “Sanju Samson has gone ahead. You have to understand this. With Rishabh Pant, people have their emotions attached. He is a big match-winner in Tests. Who can forget his knock at the Gabba and the hundred in South Africa? He performs well in overseas conditions. He is a good wicketkeeper. Rishabh Pant is a better wicketkeeper than Sanju Samson; he has almost reached the same level as MS Dhoni,”

Champions Trophy News LIVE: Speaking on his YouTube channel, ex-Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali said, "There are talks that Sarfaraz (Khan) leaked the dressing room talks and the board meeting conversations were leaked. This is not a good sign; it affects the team unity. The faster it ends, the better,"

"There shouldn’t be any blame game and Gautam Gambhir needs to play a role here. There was no Sarfaraz in the (BCCI review) meeting,” Ali added

Champions Trophy News LIVE: Speaking about the veteran batters, Gupta said, “Let’s not club Rohit and Virat together… Just like in the previous generation of Indian cricket, where Sachin (Tendulkar) and Rahul (Dravid) were different, you have to evaluate each player individually."

"For Rohit, the next five months of predominantly international white-ball cricket and the IPL will be crucial. The weight of his performances in these formats will be telling. Beyond that, factors like his first-class cricket form, fitness levels, and performance in the Champions Trophy will also be important. The final decision rests with the selectors," the ex-India cricketer added

Champions Trophy News LIVE: Speaking to telegraph, Yadav said, “My recovery went quite well and I’ve been bowling for some time now. I’m feeling good (about my progress),”

“Whether he will be selected or not depends on his fitness, but he will be discussed for sure in the selection meeting. After all, he’s a champion bowler in all formats,” a BCCI source told the publication about Yadav's selection

The big news coming in is that the Indian squad for the ICC Champions Trophy will be announced on January 18. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar will attend the press conference in Mumbai.    

Meanwhile, Baroda all-rounder Hardik Pandya was spotted training with Rohit Sharma at the Mumbai nets. Both are set to named in the squad for Champions Trophy and ODI series against England. 

In a report by TOI, it is said that Virat Kohli suffered a neck sprain and even took injections for it. The former India captain has been named in Delhi's squad for their next two Ranji Trophy games, but with a subject to availability written beside his name.  

Champions Trophy News LIVE: A meeting of all 8 captains of teams participating in the Champions Trophy is set to take place in Pakistan ahead of the Champions Trophy. However, with team India not touring the country due to political reasons, questions linger on if Rohit will be part of the opening ceremony. 

BCCI's newly appointed secretary Devajit Saikia clarified the board's position in an interview with Telegraph, saying, "We haven't got any such proposal. This hasn't been part of our discussions with the ICC,"

Champions Trophy News LIVE: Speaking on his YouTube channel, Harbhajan said, "Whatever has happened in the last few days, be it in Australia or after that...there are wins and losses on the field. But everyday new stories should not come out of the dressing room. Today there was a report that coach saab (Gautam Gambhir) has said Sarfaraz Khan has leaked dressing room talks to media. If the coach has said this, he should not have done so. If Sarfaraz Khan had done this in Australia, you are the coach, you could have talked to to him then. He is a player, make him understand. He is a youngster, he will play for India in the future," Harbhajan said.

Champions Trophy News LIVE: Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Iyer said, “I'm flexible and ready to bat anywhere in the batting order… KL (Rahul) and I, we played that important role in the middle during the World Cup. We had a great season together."

“It was just the last bit (the final against Australia) that we couldn't execute the way we wanted to. It will be a proud moment for me if I were to be picked in the Champions Trophy (squad) to represent the country,” he said ahead of Mumbai's next Ranji Trophy assignment.” Iyer added

Champions Trophy News LIVE: Speaking on a YouTube channel , Harbhajan said Sanju Samson would be his first choice as wicket keeper for the upcoming Champions Trophy ahead of Rishabh pant.

Champions Trophy News LIVE: Speaking on YouTube channel 'Switch', Sehwag said, "My advice to the selectors would be to give Jaiswal a chance in 50-overs. The way he bats in Tests and T20Is, ODIs is a suitable format for him. Jaiswal should definitely be part of India's ODI set-up,"