Sanju Samson looks set to be ignored for Champions Trophy. Photo: AP
Ajit Agarkar-headed selection committee will announce India's squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy on Saturday (January 18). Even though India have faltered in bilateral series in the past few months, there are high hopes from them in the ICC event. The Men in Blue made it to the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup and clinched the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Rohit Sharma is confirmed to lead India in the Champions Trophy. The selectors aren't expected to make many changes and there might not be a surprise selection in the team. As the fans wait for India's squad for the Champions Trophy, here we have a look at 3 players who are likely to get ignored -
Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson looks all but set to get ignored for the 2025 Champions Trophy. The main reason behind it is his absence from the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The wicketkeeper-batsman didn't play the domestic List A tournament ahead of the all-important ICC event and the selectors cannot pick him on the basis of his T20 form.
Samson didn't play List A cricket in 2024. He has cemented his spot in the T20I squad but isn't in contention for an ODI comeback. Samson was dropped from the ODI team for the Sri Lanka series in 2024.
Karun Nair
Karun Nair will reportedly get ignored and won't be selected in the 2025 Champions Trophy squad. The right-handed batsman has scored more than 700 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and achieved many milestones. But India's packed middle-order leaves no space for him.
Nair can be named as one of the reserve players for the ICC event. Nair, who will lead Vidarbha in the final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy on Saturday (January 18), played 2 ODI under MS Dhoni in 2016.
Shivam Dube
Hardik Pandya is set to make his ODI comeback, which means that Shivam Dube will get dropped. Shivam was dropped from the T20I squad for the England series and he could lose his place in the ODI team too.
Even if India decide to pick two pace-bowling all-rounders, Nitish Kumar Reddy could pip Shivam. Nitish seems to be ahead of him in the pecking order and his heroics in Australia are too good to be ignored. Nitish is part of the T20I team.
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