The Indian cricket team is preparing to face England in an ODI series before the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. This will be India’s first ODI series in about six months, following their loss to Sri Lanka in September last year. The team is looking to win the Champions Trophy with confidence, but it won’t be easy, especially with Jasprit Bumrah unlikely to play in all three matches. As a result, the team’s fast bowling will rely heavily on Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Shami, who is returning to ODIs after 15 months.
The Indian team has another challenge to address, which is the selection of a wicketkeeper-batsman. Before the first match of the ODI series, the team practiced in Nagpur, where Rishabh Pant focused on batting and KL Rahul tried his hand at wicketkeeping. This makes the decision to choose between the two for the playing XI a difficult one. Pant has the ability to change the course of a match with his batting, while Rahul is a more reliable batsman in this format.
Intense Practice Sessions for Both Wicketkeepers
Both Pant and Rahul practiced intensely, with Rahul working particularly hard on his wicketkeeping and batting skills. Pant, on the other hand, focused on playing big shots against spinners. Rahul’s wicketkeeping practice suggests that he may have an edge in getting a spot in the playing XI. Although Pant is known for his exceptional batting skills, he has not been able to demonstrate this in ODIs so far. In the 2023 ODI World Cup, Rahul scored 452 runs and also kept wickets, while Pant was recovering from an injury and not available for selection. In India’s last ODI series against Sri Lanka, Rahul scored a total of 31 runs with wicketkeeping in the first two matches, while Pant played the third match and scored only 6 runs.