Picking India's alternate 15-man squad after Champions Trophy 2025 team announcement ft. Sanju Samson and Karun Nair

India's ODI and Test captain, Rohit Sharma, alongside chief selector Ajit Agarkar, announced the squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy during a press conference held on Saturday, January 18. Several crucial decisions were made by the management, and in a major relief for fans, Jasprit Bumrah was included in the squad despite nursing an injury.

In other notable developments, Mohammed Shami made his return to the squad after a lengthy injury layoff, while Mohammed Siraj was left out. Shubman Gill was appointed vice-captain, and Yashasvi Jaiswal was added as a backup opener.

Here’s India's squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (vc), 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.

The Men in Blue have been placed in Group A, alongside Pakistan, Bangladesh, and New Zealand. Rohit and his team will kick off their campaign on February 20 against Bangladesh, with all their matches scheduled to take place in Dubai.

While the much-anticipated squad has been announced, there are some notable exclusions, particularly players who have been in excellent form but did not make the cut. With that in mind, here’s our pick for India’s alternate 15-man squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy.

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Batters: Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Karun Nair, Rinku Singh

Ishan Kishan, who was part of India's squad for the 2023 ODI World Cup, has been absent from the team for some time now. However, he recently showcased his form in the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring 316 runs in seven innings, including a century. To date, Kishan has featured in 27 ODIs for India, amassing 933 runs with seven fifties and one century.

Ruturaj Gaikwad, another contender, was also in action during the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Maharashtra. While his performance wasn't as dominant, he still managed 194 runs in seven innings, including a standout knock of 148 against Services. Gaikwad has played six ODIs for India, scoring 115 runs.

Sanju Samson, who has been in excellent form in T20I cricket, made history in 2024 by becoming the first player to score three T20I centuries in a calendar year. Despite his recent success, he couldn’t secure a place in the Champions Trophy squad, with Rishabh Pant preferred for the wicketkeeping role. Samson has featured in 16 ODIs, scoring 510 runs with three fifties and one century.

Tilak Varma from Hyderabad also caught attention with his outstanding performances in the T20I series against South Africa in November 2024. He scored 280 runs in four innings, including two centuries. The 22-year-old has played four ODIs for India and continues to impress with his potential.

Karun Nair has recently been in the spotlight due to his exceptional form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The 33-year-old topped the batting charts, amassing 779 runs in eight innings at an average of 389.50, including one fifty and five centuries. Additionally, he has represented India in two ODIs.

Rinku Singh, another name on the list, was also seen in action during the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he scored 98 runs in four innings and took three wickets. Like Nair, he has featured in two ODIs for India.

Sai Sudharsan could have also been part of the list, but the Tamil Nadu cricketer has been sidelined due to an injury, having undergone surgery for a sports hernia in London in December 2024.

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All-rounders: Riyan Parag, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube

Assam cricketer Riyan Parag has been recovering from a long-standing right shoulder injury. The 23-year-old has played nine T20Is and one ODI for India, the latter being against Sri Lanka in 2024, where he scored 15 runs and claimed three wickets.

Nitish Kumar Reddy made a strong impression during his debut Test series against Australia Down Under, where the Andhra cricketer scored 298 runs in five matches, including a century, and also claimed five wickets. Additionally, he has represented India in three T20Is.

Shivam Dube was part of the victorious Indian squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup and also featured in the ODI series against Sri Lanka in 2024. However, he did not make the cut for the Champions Trophy. Dube has played four ODIs for India.

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Bowlers: Pacers - Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Khaleel Ahmed

Mohammed Siraj's exclusion from the Champions Trophy squad came as a surprise, considering his consistent performances for the national team. He was a key member of the 2023 ODI World Cup squad and has taken 71 wickets in 44 ODIs for India.

Harshit Rana, who has been named for the England series, will not feature in the Champions Trophy. The Delhi cricketer made his India debut during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where he claimed four wickets in two matches.

Another notable name is Karnataka’s Prasidh Krishna, who impressed in the fifth Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, taking six wickets in the match. The 28-year-old pacer has picked up 29 wickets in 17 ODIs for India.

The final pacer on the list is left-arm seamer Khaleel Ahmed. The 27-year-old has played in 11 ODIs, claiming 15 wickets.

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Spinners: Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi

Varun Chakravarthy impressed in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, claiming 18 wickets in just six matches, including two multi-wicket hauls. He has played 13 T20Is for India, taking 19 wickets.

Ravi Bishnoi, the 24-year-old leg-spinner, took 14 wickets in seven innings during the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He has also played one ODI and 37 T20Is for India.

India's alternate 15-man squad for Champions Trophy 2025: Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Karun Nair, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Khaleel Ahmed, Varun Chakravarthy, and Ravi Bishnoi.