3 players India must rest for ODI series vs England 2025 ft. Jasprit Bumrah

After a tough Australian tour, India are set to host England for a white-ball series at home. They will play five T20Is and three ODIs in January-February 2025. The ODI series will be particularly crucial keeping the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy in mind.

India will want their players to get enough game time and gain form through the England series before the ICC event. That said, it will be vital for all the main players to participate in the ODIs to fine-tune their skills and get into a good rhythm.

However, the management will have to consider a few factors before picking the ODI side. As the Australian tour was long and grueling, some of the players will have to be rested, so that they are fit and fresh for the Champions Trophy.

While it will be interesting to see what call the team management makes, here are three players that India must rest for the upcoming ODIs against England.

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3 players India must rest for ODI series vs England 2025

#3 Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah is probably the most obvious name among those whom India must rest for the England ODIs. The pacer bowled his heart out, and overbowled himself too, during the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 series.

Bumrah played all five games and bowled 151.2 overs. He ended the series as not just India's but the highest wicket-taker overall with 32 scalps. The pacer was the lone consistent performer for the visitors, carrying the load of leading the bowling attack.

He was also injured during the final Test, which could be a concern. The pacer missing the Champions Trophy would be a massive blow. That said, the team would certainly want to manage his workload and give him a much-needed break to recover in time for the ICC event.

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#2 Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj played the Australia series as India's second pacer, sharing the responsibility of leading the attack along with Bumrah. In fact, Siraj bowled more than Bumrah, putting in 157.1 overs across five Tests. He managed to pick up 20 wickets as well.

While Siraj's workload often goes unnoticed, it is to be noted that the pacer has played in almost every series, with Mohammad Shami being unavailable for a while due to his injury and fitness issues.

With Siraj being given a break to recover, India could also throw a few other bowlers in the mix to work out a solid combination for the Champions Trophy. This could allow them to have a strong bench as far as the pace attack is concerned as well.

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#1 Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli managed to score just 190 runs in five Tests against Australia. The veteran batter had a tough and mentally challenging tour to say the least. While his form in the longer format is a concern, Virat has still done well in ODIs.

He was the highest run-getter in the 2023 ODI World Cup. It can be argued that both Virat and Rohit Sharma failed in Australia and need some runs under their belt. However, as Rohit scored just 31 runs from three Tests, it looks like he needs the runs more than Virat at this point.

With Kohli being rested, the Men in Blue can also try some combinations in the middle order. The likes of Riyan Parag, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant among others are all in the mix of things ahead of the Champions Trophy.