India captain Rohit Sharma has defended the decision to include four spinners in the squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025.
India revealed their provisional squad for the eight-team event on 18 January, including four spinners—Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and Kuldeep Yadav.
There were concerns about the fitness of Yadav, who had been out of action since his hernia surgery in November, however, he was still named in the India squad.
The announcement was made during a press conference, where skipper Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar addressed the media. Speaking about the spinners’ roles, Rohit highlighted their importance in adding depth to both the batting and bowling departments.
“The spinners give us depth when we have spinning all-rounders. While we don’t have many seaming all-rounders, these players bring quality in both batting and bowling,” said Sharma.
“Sundar, Jadeja, and Axar are proper all-rounders, not just spin-bowling all-rounders.”
The 37-year-old skipper expressed satisfaction with the spinners’ past performances and their adaptability to various roles.
“These players are not selected just to fill a spot as batters or bowlers. They’ve performed in key situations, and the team is confident in their abilities,” he added.
“Having this depth with quality spin options is always beneficial.”
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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