Indian men’s cricket team, skippered by Rohit Sharma, has departed for Dubai from Mumbai in an official capacity as they prepare to face the eagerly awaited ICC Champions Trophy, which will start on February 19. India’s Group A matches will be conducted solely at the Dubai International Stadium, with the rest of the tournament’s matches being played in Pakistan.
Video footage taken at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai filmed Rohit Sharma and his team members, as well as the backroom staff, clearing airport security as they took their flight to Dubai. Leaving India is a sign that they are starting on India’s path to reclaim the Champions Trophy that they have also won twice in the past.
First, the team was supposed to fly in two batches. But following the new Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) policy directives last month, it was decided that the whole team will leave together for all international tasks. This change will serve to coordinate and tie the team together as they prepare for a very important tournament.
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India will be going into the tournament without their star fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, who is out injured with a lower back strain suffered in the fifth and final Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Sydney last month. The loss is a big one, considering his penchant for performing well under pressure in big tournaments.
Watch | The first batch of the Indian Cricket team departs for #Dubai to participate in #ICCChampionsTrophy
All matches of Team India will be held in #Dubai, while the rest will take place in Pakistan pic.twitter.com/mYw2GVpPqZ
— The Times Of India (@timesofindia) February 15, 2025
Young pace-bowling all-rounder Harshit Rana has been brought in to replace the vacancy, while wrist-spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has also found a spot at the cost of top-order batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was in the provisional squad. Jaiswal now also joins Mohammed Siraj and Shivam Dube as one of the non-travelling reserve players.
India’s Champions Trophy journey begins against Bangladesh on February 20, and it is the precursor to a very important opening match. But the real test comes on February 23, when they face arch-rivals Pakistan in what will be one of the most eagerly awaited battles of the tournament.
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Their last Group A encounter will be against New Zealand on March 2, a match that might well determine their destiny in the knockout phase. With Rohit Sharma as captain and a team full of experienced as well as up-and-coming stars, India will be looking to make a powerful statement in Dubai as they pursue yet another ICC title.
India’s squad for the ICC Champions Trophy: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammad Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakravarthy.
