What has changed in team India this year?

This year has been nothing short of a rollercoaster for Team India, seeing moments of brilliance and struggle. The team has undergone visible changes in its approach, mindset, and overall balance. While the highs have been celebrated, the lows have been received criticism. 5. India to face Pakistan only in multi-nation events: India will not engage in any bilateral sporting events with Pakistan, but athletes from both nations can compete against each other in multi-nation tournaments. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports clarified that Indian teams will not travel to Pakistan, nor will Pakistan teams be hosted in India for bilateral contests. However, participation in multilateral events such as the Asia Cup and the ICC events is permitted, as these fall under international sports bodies. This decision clears the way for India to face Pakistan in the men’s Asia Cup, starting September 9 in the UAE, with the clash scheduled for September 14 in Dubai. The policy allows Pakistan’s athletes to feature in multilateral events hosted in India. India and Pakistan last played a bilateral cricket series in 2012–13, with subsequent clashes limited to ICC and ACC tournaments. 4. Shreyas Iyer finds no place in Asia Cup squad: The BCCI announced India’s 15-member squad for the Asia Cup 2025 on August 19, but the omission of Shreyas Iyer became the biggest talking point since. Despite being in excellent form in ODIs and IPL 2025, the right-hander was not picked in the main squad or even among the reserves. Iyer’s T20I numbers, which include 1,104 runs at a strike rate of 136.13 with eight fifties, along with his brilliant IPL 2025 for Punjab Kings, where he scored 604 runs at 175.07, made a strong case for his inclusion. However, the selectors preferred youngsters for the middle-order spot. Notably, ever since the squad announcement, former cricketers and fans have criticized the selectors for their decision. 3. Shubman Gill named Test captain: Batting star Shubman Gill officially took over as India’s new Test captain. His first assignment was the blockbuster five-Test series in England, where India drew the series 2-2. Gill, leading from the front, was the standout performer and was deservedly named Player of the Series. The young skipper hammered 754 runs in 10 innings at an average of 75.40, including four centuries. His finest moment came at Edgbaston, where he scored a record-breaking 430 runs in the second Test. Notably, he was praised for his captaincy qualities and is seen as an all-format skipper in the future. 2. India wins Champions Trophy 2025: India registered history on March 9, 2025, by clinching their third ICC Champions Trophy title with a four-wicket win over New Zealand in Dubai. Skipper Rohit Sharma smashed 76, while KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja held their nerve to help the Men in Blue chase down 252 with an over to spare. Earlier, spinners Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Ravindra Jadeja restricted the BlackCaps to 251/7 despite solid knocks from Daryl Mitchell and Michael Bracewell. This victory completed India’s unbeaten run in the tournament, which included wins against Bangladesh, Pakistan, New Zealand (group stage), and Australia in the semifinal. Seeing the team’s achievement, the BCCI announced a cash reward of INR 58 crore for players, coaches, and support staff. 1. Rohit-Kohli announces Test retirements: Indian cricket witnessed its biggest talking point of the year when two modern greats, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, announced their respective retirements from Test cricket within days of each other in May. Rohit, who scored 4301 runs in 67 Tests with 12 centuries, brought an end to his red-ball career after struggling in recent series. Soon after, Kohli, India’s most successful Test captain, followed suit with an emotional announcement. Over a 14-year career, he scored 9230 runs in 123 matches, including 30 centuries, and led India to historic milestones, most notably the first-ever Test series win in Australia in 2018-19. Notably, the announcements came just a month ahead of India's series against England.