Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has raised concerns about the absence of key batters in the Indian squad for the Champions Trophy 2025.
Led by opening batter Rohit Sharma, the squad includes Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja.
While there has been a lot pf criticism on the Indian selection panel for snubbing several players who have performed in domestic cricket, Ravichandran Ashwin has lamented the absence of left-handers in the top seven batters.
“This template mirrors the 2023 ODI World Cup, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill open, both right-handed. Then there’s Virat Kohli. Shreyas Iyer likely bats at 4, given his strong performance in the World Cup. KL Rahul follows. At No. 6, it’s a choice between Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. Hardik occupies No. 7,” the former Indian spinner said in a recent interview.
According to Ashwin, India’s likely Playing XI for the Champions Trophy 2025 lacks the left-right combination .
“We lack left-handed batters in the top seven. Outside the XI, we have Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant,” said Ashwin.
The former cricketer urged for utilising the form Jaiswal carried through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and make him open with Rohit Sharma in the Champions Trophy 2025.
“Jaiswal might only play if someone gets injured. He could have a chance against England. But what if he scores consecutive centuries? One option is to open with Jaiswal and Rohit, pushing Shubman to 3, followed by Virat at 4. This would place either Rishabh Pant or KL Rahul at 5. If Jaiswal plays, Shreyas Iyer would likely be dropped. While unlikely, India must capitalise on Jaiswal’s current form,” he added.
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