The Indian cricket team, led by captain Rohit Sharma, has departed for Dubai, where they will participate in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The tournament, hosted by Pakistan, is set to begin on February 19, with seven out of the eight participating teams heading to Pakistan, while India will play their matches in Dubai. The team’s squad was announced earlier, with two changes made before their departure. Rohit Sharma, who led the team to victory in the T20 World Cup in 2024, will captain the side in this tournament as well.
The Indian team will face Bangladesh in their first match on February 20. Considering the conditions in Dubai, the team has included five spinners in their squad, including Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, and Varun Chakravarthy. The team’s initial squad announcement included Jasprit Bumrah, but he was later replaced by Harshit Rana due to fitness concerns. Additionally, Varun Chakravarthy was added to the squad in place of Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Before the tournament, the Indian team played a three-match ODI series against England at home, winning all three matches. Both captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were able to regain their form during the series.
The highly anticipated match between India and Pakistan is scheduled for February 23 in Dubai. The Indian team will play all their matches at 2:30 pm Indian Standard Time. Their final group stage match will be against New Zealand on March 2, and if they make it to the finals, the championship match will also be held in Dubai.