Dubai: As the Indian cricket team now looks ahead to the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, which will kick off on 19 February in Pakistan, a spin conundrum has ensnared our chances of a bright roster for the upcoming matches. India’s spinners are expected to play a major role in the tournament that is now only six weeks away, with all their matches to be played in Dubai.
India’s only preparation for the Champions Trophy is likely to be the upcoming three-match ODI series against England that begins on 6 February. It is hoped that this series will offer clarity on the composition of the team, especially the spin department.
Pitches in Dubai are known to slow down with play, making run scoring increasingly difficult. The importance of spinners improved with this feature. India is also likely to include two spinners, with Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav being the ones to fight for those places.
Right now, Jadeja and Patel are ahead in the race for those two spinner places in the XI. They are both good batters and bring vital depth to the batting lineup. The most experienced player in the squad, Jadeja, has always delivered while finishing matches from the lower order. The T20 World Cup 2024 final saw Patel flex his batting muscles, showing his versatility whether at the middle or lower end of the order.
However, Kuldeep Yadav’s inclusion is shrouded in doubt. Left-arm wrist spinner is recovering from groin surgery in Germany after being injured during the India vs. New Zealand Bengaluru Test. He is being rehabilitated at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence and has not yet started bowling.
If Yadav doesn’t return to the England ODI series, he is likely to miss out on Champions Trophy selection, according to sources close to the team. If he comes back, his performance would be looked into first before captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir take the decision regarding his inclusion in the playing XI.
With the tournament clock ticking down, Indian team management has a plethora of choices before it as far as finalising their spin strategy for the challenge that Dubai is expected to throw at them is concerned.