Indian captain Rohit Sharma has issued a bold statement about his ambitions for the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025.
The ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy will kick off on 19 February with host and defending champions Pakistan taking on New Zealand in the curtain-raiser in Karachi’s National Bank Stadium.
It’s worth noting that India will play all their matches in Dubai, while the rest of the tournament will be played across Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi in Pakistan.
The final is scheduled in Lahore on 9 March, unless India qualify, in which case it will be played in Dubai.
Rohit Sharma, during the Golden Jubilee anniversary celebrations of Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, expressed his resolve to bring the coveted trophy to the venue after winning the tournament.
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“We will try our best. I’m sure that the wishes of 140 crore Indians will be behind us when we land in Dubai for the Champions Trophy,” Rohit Sharma said.
“We will try to do well and bring the Champions Trophy 2025 to the Wankhede Stadium (once we win)”
It is worth noting here that India, led by Virat Kohli, entered the Champions Trophy 2017 edition as defending champions, having won the 2013 edition under the captaincy of MS Dhoni. However, they were defeated by arch-rivals Pakistan in the final.
The Men In Blue are placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, New Zealand, and Bangladesh. They will kick off their campaign against Bangladesh on February 20.
India squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (vc), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah*, Mohammad Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashaswi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, and Ravindra Jadeja
*Jasprit Bumrah’s inclusion in the Champions Trophy 2025 squad is subject to his fitness.
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