Champions Trophy 2025: Agarkar to Announce India’s Squad, Hardik and Rahul Out as Vice-Captain

India's Test cricket season ended on a disappointing note as the team suffered consecutive series defeats, losing their top spot in the World Test Championship standings and missing out on the final. Over their last eight Test matches, India managed only one win, including an unprecedented 0-3 home whitewash against New Zealand.

With the focus now shifting to white-ball cricket, India is gearing up for the ICC Champions Trophy, which starts on February 19. Before the tournament, India will host England for five T20Is and three ODIs, beginning on January 22.

The immediate attention will be on the selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, which is expected to finalize India’s 15-member provisional squad for the Champions Trophy by January 12. Although the ICC requires squads to be submitted by this date, teams can make changes until February 13, when the ICC will officially release the final squads.

According to reports, Jasprit Bumrah, despite fitness concerns after the demanding Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, is likely to be named vice-captain for the Champions Trophy under Rohit Sharma. This decision means Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul, who previously served as vice-captains during the 2023 ODI World Cup, are expected to be overlooked. Hardik had initially held the role before an ankle injury led to Rahul taking over.

For the selectors, choosing the final squad will be challenging as many players, including fringe options, have been delivering impressive performances in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy.