NEW DELHI: Former India cricketer Suresh Raina believes Rohit Sharma‘s team has the potential to replicate MS Dhoni‘s 2013 Champions Trophy triumph. Under Dhoni’s captaincy, India defeated England in the final to clinch the title.
On Saturday, India men’s cricket team Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar and captain Rohit Sharma unveiled the 15-member squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, set to begin on February 19 in Karachi.
The squad includes Shubman Gill as Rohit’s deputy and features opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is yet to make his ODI debut.
Raina, a key player in India’s 2013 Champions Trophy-winning campaign, expressed confidence in the current squad’s strength but criticised the omission of Suryakumar Yadav, calling him the missing “X-factor.”
“India looks like a strong side. I am confident Rohit will take India to glory. But I was surprised with Surya’s exclusion from the team. India will miss that X-factor and that too in the middle order. We saw Surya’s performance in the 2023 World Cup. He was scoring runs all over the ground, which is why he is called Mr. 360. He plays superb sweep shots and is a game-changer. He has the ability to chase a required run rate of 9-plus against top teams. He should have been in the squad,” Raina, now a Cricket Expert and Commentator on Star Sports Press Room, told TimesofIndia.com.
“India needed a player who could dominate the opposition in the middle overs. The dimensions of the Dubai ground are unique—you have small areas in front and larger ones towards the covers. Surya would have utilised these conditions exceptionally well,” he said.
“In his absence, there will be a lot of responsibility on the top three batters, who are also not in the best form. In the middle overs, will India go with KL Rahul, or will Rishabh move up the order? Or will Shubman open the innings with Rohit? There’s a lot to consider right now. If Suryakumar had been in the squad, he could have provided flexibility with his ability to bat anywhere in the order,” Raina said.
India will open their campaign on February 20 against Bangladesh at the Dubai International Stadium. Other teams in the group are Pakistan and New Zealand.
India’s second match will be a highly anticipated clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on February 23, followed by their final group-stage encounter with New Zealand on March 2. All matches are scheduled to be held in Dubai.
India, who have won the Champions Trophy twice, finished as runners-up in the last edition of the tournament in 2017.
