The Indian cricket team has successfully secured a spot in the Champions Trophy 2025 final, with just one more match to win to claim another ICC title. As the team gears up for the final, all eyes are on the players who will make it to the playing eleven. Despite their impressive performance in the tournament, there are three players who have not had the opportunity to play a single match yet. Unless they get a chance in the final, they will have to return home without playing a game.
One of the most notable players who has been benched is Rishabh Pant, the most expensive player in IPL history. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had announced a 15-member squad for the Champions Trophy, with some changes made later on. However, three players have not made it to the playing eleven in any match so far, with Pant being the first one. Despite being one of the world’s most feared batsmen and the captain of the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, Pant has not gotten a chance to play due to captain Rohit Sharma’s preference for KL Rahul as the wicketkeeper-batsman.
Another player who has not had the opportunity to play is Arshdeep Singh, one of the three fast bowlers selected for the Champions Trophy. With only three fast bowlers in the squad, including Mohammed Shami and Harshit Rana, Arshdeep has been left out of the playing eleven. Although Harshit Rana was initially not part of the squad, he was added after Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out, and has been playing alongside Shami. It seems unlikely that Arshdeep will get a chance to play in the final match.
The third player who has been benched is Washington Sundar, one of the five spinners selected for the Champions Trophy. With four spinners already playing, including Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja, Sundar has not been given a chance to play. It is uncertain whether he will make it to the playing eleven in the final match, as the current spinners have been performing well. Unless there are any changes in the team composition, it seems unlikely that Sundar will get an opportunity to play in the final.