Aakash Chopra picks his Indian squad for 2025 Champions Trophy, no place for Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav

Aakash Chopra has picked his Indian squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy and the preceding ODI series against England. Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav are among the prominent players who failed to make his side.

India will face England in a three-match ODI series, with the first game to be played in Nagpur on February 6. The Champions Trophy is scheduled to start on February 19, with the Men in Blue squaring off against Bangladesh a day later in Dubai in their tournament opener.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the cricketer-turned-commentator kept India's 2023 ODI World Cup squad as his starting point for selection and opined that Rohit Sharma would continue to open and captain the side.

"Rohit Sharma as an opener and captain, without a shadow of doubt. From the start of the 2023 ODI World Cup, he has played 14 innings and scored 754 runs at an average of 54, with a century and five half-centuries and a strike rate of nearly 130," he said (4:10).

Chopra chose Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal as the other two openers in his squad.

"Shubman Gill's numbers have not been that good. Since the start of the World Cup, he has played 12 innings, has an average of 37.4, hasn't scored a century, has five half-centuries and 411 runs in total. Not good enough. Therefore, there is a case for Yashasvi Jaiswal. Whether he will be there in the XI or not, he should be in the team," he elaborated.

Virat Kohli undoubtedly made it to the former India batter's squad.

"After that Virat Kohli, there is no doubt about that. He has scored his runs at an average of 74 in 14 innings and has scored three centuries. Although he didn't score runs in Sri Lanka, he still has an average of 74. Imagine how his World Cup would have been," Chopra observed.

Chopra doesn't see Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson in India's ODI lineup.

"I feel Suryakumar Yadav won't be a part of this team. He is actually not playing ODIs and hasn't scored runs in Vijay Hazare as well. Sanju Samson hasn't played at all. One didn't play and the other didn't score runs, so their names are not going to come," he reasoned.

The former India opener picked Shreyas Iyer as one of the middle-order batters.

"Suryakumar Yadav isn't there but Shreyas Iyer is. Since the start of the World Cup, he has scored 620 runs in 15 innings, with two centuries, at a strike rate of 112 and an average of 52. Iyer is on fire," Chopra said.

Aakash Chopra chose KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant as the two wicketkeeper-batters in his squad.

"KL Rahul was playing after that. From the start of the 2023 World Cup, he has scored 560 runs at an average of 56 in 14 innings. He has struck a century and three half-centuries. He will also be there in the team. He was playing as a keeper then and might play as a keeper now also," he elaborated.

"Rishabh Pant didn't play the World Cup. What's his ODI record? He has scored his runs at a strike rate of 106 and an average of 33.5 with one century and five half-centuries. The numbers aren't great but he will come in the team in place of Ishan Kishan," the former India player added.

Pant has played a solitary ODI in the last two years. He managed only six runs in the third ODI between India and Sri Lanka in August last year.

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"Hardik Pandya has to be in the team" - Aakash Chopra

Hardik Pandya injured his ankle during the 2023 ODI World Cup. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra chose Hardik Pandya as the only seam-bowling all-rounder in his Champions Trophy squad.

"Hardik Pandya has to be in the team, there is no doubt about that. He is playing the Vijay Hazare and played the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as well. He has played a lot of cricket because the question was that he doesn't play," he said (10:05).

The cricketer-turned-commentator picked Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav as his three-pronged spin attack.

"After that, I feel both Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel will be a part of the team. Axar Patel got injured (before the World Cup). His luck is so bad that they might take Nitish Kumar Reddy in his place," Chopra observed.

"However, I am saying keep three spinners after Hardik Pandya - Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav. I will definitely keep three spinners although there will be a slight problem in Dubai. It will be slightly cold and there will be a little moisture. So spin might not be used that much but I still request you to take all three," he added.

Aakash Chopra completed his squad with four seamers, although he acknowledged that Jasprit Bumrah should be rested for the England series.

"After that, I have left Shardul Thakur out. So I have got Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami and Arshdeep Singh. Jasprit Bumrah shouldn't be spoken about. Mohammed Shami should 100 percent go if he is fit. He should play against England as well," he elaborated.

Aakash Chopra's Indian squad for 2025 Champions Trophy: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh