Champions Trophy 2025 – Rohit Sharma: Varun Chakravarthy definitely in contention

“Right now, we are not thinking about whether we’re going to take him [to the Champions Trophy] or not, but definitely he will be in contention. If things pan out really well for us and he does what is required, then definitely there is something that we need to think about.”

At present, India’s Champions Trophy squad includes four spinners in Ravindra Jadeja, Axar, Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav, with Kuldeep having just returned to action after undergoing a hernia operation.

Rohit didn’t reveal who India would go with to start the England series, but highlighted the importance of “continuity”, hinting that it could well be Rahul.

“Obviously, KL has been keeping wickets for us in the ODI format for a number of years now, and he’s done pretty well,” Rohit said. “If you look at the last 10-15 ODIs, he’s done exactly what the team required him to do. Rishabh as well, he’s there, we’ve got the option of playing either one of them.

“Both are quite capable of winning games on their own, so it’s a good headache to have whether to play KL or Rishabh, but obviously, looking at what we’ve done in the past, having that continuity is also very important for us, so that is where we stand as a team, with KL and Rishabh.”

Rohit said the selectors and team management were waiting on results of a scan that Bumrah would undergo “in the next few days”.

“Look, Jasprit, obviously we’re waiting on some update about his scan and stuff, which was due to happen in the next few days,” Rohit said. “Once we get that scan, we’ll be able to give you more clarity on where he stands right now.”