ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Hardik Pandya OUT? Selection committee gears up for decisive call

While the Indian fans are still struggling to move on from Team India's disastrous performance in the recently-concluded Test series against Australia, the team-management and the selectors have started planning for the next big assignment.

Team India will play a T20I and an ODI series against England at home before leaving for Dubai for the all-important ICC Champions Trophy. The tournament is scheduled to be played from February 19 in Pakistan and UAE.

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The deadline to submit the preliminary squad for the mini World Cup is January 12 and the selectors now have less than a week's time in their hands to finalise the squad. According to reports, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel is set to pick the squad on Friday (January 10), two days ahead of the deadline set by the International Cricket Council.

According to a report in the Sportstar, the selectors are unlikely to spring too many surprises in the squad. India have not played any ODIs since the defeat in Sri Lanka last July. And the squad for the Champions Trophy is unlikely to have too many unexpected names in it.

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Focus on Hardik Pandya ahead of squad selection:

The report further stated that Hardik Pandya's possible inclusion in the India squad is set to be the biggest talking point when the selectors sit to finalize the team for the Champions Trophy. The star allrounder, who played a huge role in India's victorious campaign at the 2024 T20 World Cup, has not played any ODI since suffering an injury during the ODI World Cup in 2023.

After the World Cup, India have played six ODIs but Hardik Pandya has not played in any of those games. Later, he was informed that he had to prove his match-fitness by featuring in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. As a result, Hardik Pandya played in three of Baroda’s league stage games and will be playing in the knockouts as well. The call is now with the selection panel.

Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah, who did not play the ODIs against Sri Lanka, is set to return to the team for the Champions Trophy as vice-captain. The only other new addition to the squad could be Hardik Pandya. The report stated that the selectors are more than likely to persist with the same squad that played in Sri Lanka with Tilak Varma and Yashasvi Jaiswal's name being up for discussions for a possible slot in batting group.

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Meanwhile, India are in Group A for the Champions Trophy. The other teams in the group are Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh. India will begin their Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh on February 20.