Not Hardik Pandya or Surya Kumar Yadav, THIS 31 year old star may be the Vice-Captain Of India in ICC Champions Trophy 2025

After a 1-3 defeat in the Test series against Australia, India will now focus on white-ball cricket. They will play England in a five-match T20I series starting January 22, followed by a three-match ODI series. These matches will help India prepare for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.

India will play the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai, as they won’t travel to Pakistan. Their opening match is against Bangladesh on February 20, followed by a game against Pakistan on February 23. If India progresses to the knockouts, the semifinal will take place on March 4, with the final scheduled for March 9.

India’s last white-ball series was in August 2024 against Sri Lanka, where Shubman Gill served as vice-captain. Previously, Hardik Pandya also filled this role during the 2023 ODI World Cup before injury ruled him out.

India’s regulars in white-ball cricket, including Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, and Arshdeep Singh, are all but guaranteed spots in the squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy. The selection of Mohammed Shami, who last represented India on November 19, 2023, remains a point of interest, as it remains to be seen whether he will make the cut.

Apart from Bumrah, who might be given a break due to workload management, the remaining players likely to feature in the Champions Trophy are expected to play in the three ODIs against England. These matches are scheduled for February 6, 9, and 12 in Nagpur, Cuttack, and Ahmedabad, respectively.

Jasprit Bumrah, the star pacer for India, etched his name into cricket history on Saturday by becoming the Indian bowler with the most wickets in a Test series against Australia. He achieved this milestone on the second day of the fifth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, claiming his landmark wicket by dismissing Marnus Labuschagne.

Bumrah managed to induce a faint edge from Labuschagne’s bat, which was comfortably caught by Rishabh Pant. Though the on-field umpire initially ruled the dismissal as Not Out, Bumrah, confident of the edge, immediately opted for the Decision Review System (DRS). With this wicket, Bumrah’s tally for the series rose to 32, setting a new record for the most wickets by an Indian bowler in a Test series against Australia.