Predicted XI of India for the Champions Trophy

Team India begin their Champions Trophy campaign with a game against Pakistan which millions of fans are already anticipating about all around the world. India are, of course, the defending champions and have had a tight lid over their arch-rivals in major ICC events. Birmingham, which is the venue of this riveting contest, is a city which is dominated by Asian population and hence the tickets are already sold out for this game.

ICC Champions Trophy is a tightly contested tournament and sides can’t come back in the tournament if they stutter initially. India, after their Pakistan game, take on South Africa and Sri Lanka in their rest two group games and need to win at least two games to seal a spot in the semi-finals. They have the right personnel to defend their title this time around. It is just a question of identifying their best combination ahead of the tournament.

India warmed-up well as they defeated New Zealand in a rain-truncated encounter at the Kennington Oval in London. Then they humiliated Bangladesh in the second warm-up match. Considering the form of the players and the conditions they are playing in, Indian think-tank will choose an XI which will largely be the same in the group stages barring the odd changes.

We bring you to the Predicted XI of the Indian side for the Champions Trophy:

Openers (Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma)

Shikhar Dhawan hasn’t played much ODI cricket in the last year. He was picked purely due to an injury to regular opener KL Rahul. This is an ideal opportunity for Dhawan to stake a claim for the opening slot. It is a position in which he has done exceedingly well in the past. It is also a tournament in which he had established himself as an opener in the side in 2013 as he ended with the golden bat for scoring most runs in the event. Dhawan is in a rich vein of form as he made runs consistently in the IPL.

Rohit Sharma, like his partner Dhawan, hasn’t played much ODI cricket for India in the recent past as he missed 5 months due to an injury he sustained in October last year. He regained his fitness ahead of the IPL and led his franchise to the title win in which he contributed with a couple of vintage knocks. India won the last edition because of these two striking form and scoring runs at the top of the order. They need to show the same kind of form this edition too if India are to defend their title.

Middle Order (Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav)

Kohli will love to be back playing his favourite format. India hasn’t played any ODI cricket since the home series against England in January. The skipper at No. 3 will be responsible for building an innings so that the power-hitters come in and express themselves at the latter stages of the innings. The Delhi boy warmed himself up well to English conditions by scoring a handy unbeaten half-century against New Zealand in the first warm-up clash. His form will be crucial for India in this championship.

Yuvraj made a resounding comeback in the Indian ODI fold during the England series. His knock of 150 in the second ODI got India off from the shambles and scripted a memorable win for India. He struck the ball well during the IPL which is an ominous sign for all the bowlers in the tournament.

Dhoni has displayed shades of his old self in the last 4 months. He was involved in a 256-run partnership with Yuvraj in the second ODI against England of which he contributed 134. Dhoni at No. 5 carries the middle order on his shoulders. If he finds form early, India will be a side to beat.

Jadhav has had a great time in the ODI set-up. He was the man of the series in the England series after scoring a brilliant hundred and an equally brilliant 90, which almost took India over the line. Jadhav has a terrific range of shots. He picks the line of the ball early and gets into position in a flash. The 32-year old plays the angles down perfectly to find gaps in the field and can play the finisher’s role perfectly batting at No. 6.

All-rounders (Hardik Pandya/Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja)

Due to his all-round abilities, Pandya will get into the side as a bowling all-rounder. He can be a handy option at the death and can give a few overs with the new ball too. He is an outstanding fielder which gives him an edge over his teammates. Apart from that, Hardik has really improved his batting in the recent past to be a worthy No. 7.

He did a reasonable job in the England series and is expected to be a part of the XI. Ashwin will be the guy who can replace him or vice-versa as India is set to adopt the horses for courses strategy. Otherwise a regular in the ODI team, Ashwin might struggle to get a look-in in the first game as Edgbaston might seam a lot. He will get in the side if the wicket is dry from the onset.

Jadeja has been a terrific ODI player in the last few years. It is because of his ODI form that he eventually got a look-in in the Test side. The confidence of being the No. 1 Test bowler will surely help him during the course of the tournament. He can be a deadly No. 8 as he is a clean striker of the cricket ball. Jadeja is a terrific fielder at point, which makes him a utility player.

Bowlers (Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah)

Umesh Yadav had a good outing against Bangladesh as he captured a brilliant 3/16 bowling with the new ball. His partner, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, too was amongst the wickets as he ended with 3/13. Both are expected to lead the attack for India. Bhuvi’s style of bowling suits the conditions in England. He has taken 6 wickets off 2 games so far on this tour and is expected to carry this form into the tournament.

Umesh has produced stellar performances in the Test matches. His workmanlike approach is a delight for any skipper. He runs in with the same intensity every time he is handed with the ball. His form edges out Mohammad Shami, who himself can crank it up in these conditions.

Bumrah is more known for his death bowling, though he can be a handful during the initial phases of an innings. He is a skiddy customer who can rush the batsman and gets considerable swing into the right-handers as well. His ability to hit the yorkers consistently in pressure-cooker situation makes him an asset for the team. Bumrah is likely to feature in each of India’s group games next week.