Ajit Agarkar to Reveal India’s Champions Trophy Squad, Hardik and Rahul Left Out for Vice-Captaincy
Ajit Agarkar to Reveal India’s Champions Trophy Squad, Hardik and Rahul Left Out for Vice-Captaincy
Hardik, KL Rahul to be ignored for vice-captaincy.
The selection committee, headed by Ajit Agarkar, is anticipated to reveal the Indian squad for the Champions Trophy by January 12, the final date for all teams to submit their 15-man provisional rosters. Nevertheless, the ICC will permit modifications to these squads until February 13.
“All teams need to submit their provisional squads by January 12 but (are) allowed to make changes till February 13. It is up to the teams whether they want to announce the squad or not as the International Cricket Council (ICC) will release the submitted squads only on February 13,” says official ICC sources.
According to sources, Bumrah, who is currently dealing with fitness issues following a demanding Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia, is expected to be appointed as Rohit Sharma’s vice-captain for the Champions Trophy. This suggests that the selectors will be passing over Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul, both of whom held the vice-captaincy during the 2023 ODI World Cup.
The Indian team will shift its attention back to white-ball cricket as the ICC Champions Trophy is set to commence on February 19. Prior to the tournament, India is scheduled to host England for five T20I matches and three ODIs, starting from January 22.
The tournament is set to take place from February 19 to March 9, making its comeback after an eight-year break.
Eight elite cricketing nations will compete in 15 thrilling matches during the Champions Trophy.
The tournament will adopt a hybrid format, featuring games in both Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
India’s games are primarily scheduled for Dubai, with the final potentially taking place in either Dubai or Lahore, contingent on India’s success in the tournament.
