Six players, who were part of India's World Cup 2023 squad, are not among the 15 for the Champions Trophy starting on February 19. It was a crack outfit, which won 10 matches before losing the final against Australia. Form, retirement and need-specific selection are the reasons behind these changes. A quick look at the players from that bunch who are not in the Champions Trophy squad.
Ishan Kishan: A rising star back then, this wicketkeeper-batter from Jharkhand has encountered several roadblocks. Left out of the BCCI’s annual contracts for neglecting domestic cricket, he has not been at his best of late. In the recent national one-day championship, he hit a hundred against Manipur and had a highest of 48 in six other innings. Rishabh Pant is an obvious choice ahead of him.
Suryakumar Yadav: India’s T20 captain has not made a mark in ODIs. After 35 innings, he averages just above 25. The Mumbai maverick was off-colour in the national one-dayers well. He continues to be a force in the shortest format, but as far as ODIs go, he doesn’t merit a chance at this moment. Yashasvi Jaiswal is not his replacement in the middle-order, but a worthy inclusion in the batting unit.
Ravichandran Ashwin: He played just one game in the 2023 World Cup, at his home ground in Chennai against Australia, and that was his last-ever ODI outing. This veteran wouldn’t have been an automatic choice for the Champions Trophy. His decision to retire from international cricket ends that debate. Washington Sundar is the off-spin option in his place.
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Mohammed Siraj: This temperamental fast bowler from Hyderabad is the most surprising exclusion. He has an impressive ODI record of 71 wickets from 44 matches with an economy rate of 5.18. He is familiar with these conditions as well. It’s bold call to drop him. Arshdeep Singh is a handy inclusion and it also has to be noted that the selectors have gone for just three specialist fast bowlers.
Shardul Thakur: This bowling all-rounder with 47 ODI caps was not in the scheme of things in recent times. He can be a handy customer, but for the Champions Trophy, India’s emphasis is on spin-bowling all-rounders, as they have picked three of them. With Hardik Pandya in the squad and Nitish Kumar Reddy waiting in the wings, this Mumbai fighter faces an uphill task to stage a comeback.
Prasidh Krishna: This fast bowler would not have made the 2023 squad had Hardik Pandya not got injured. After coming back from the recent Test tour of Australia, he did reasonably well for Karnataka in their title-winning run in the national one-dayers. However, with the selectors going for that extra spinner, there was no room for him in the current ODI scheme of things.
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