Former batting coach Sanjay Bangar has named the playing XI for India’s upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 match against Bangladesh. Sanjay Bangar has picked Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah as the main seamer, assuming both are fit and available, with Mohammed Shami as the back-up seamer.
Mohammed Shami suffered right heel problem in 2023 ODI World Cup. After the tournament, he underwent surgery and took a year off to recover. He missed major events like the home Test series against England, Border-Gavaskar Trophy, IPL and T20 World Cup. Shami is now fully recovered.
Mohammed Shami is a non-starter for me – Sanjay Bangar
During a discussion on Star Sports’ ‘Watch the Blues’ show, Sanjay Bangar picked his preferred line-up for the match against Bangladesh. He said that if both Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah are fit, Mohammed Shami may be left out.
“You eliminate one of the fast bowlers. If Arshdeep and Bumrah are both available, then you can drop someone like Shami. So for me, Shami is not a starter,” Bangar said.
After proving himself in domestic cricket for Bengal, Shami was included in the squad for the five-match T20I series against England. He was also included in the 15-member squad of the prestigious tournament. India will play their first match against Bangladesh on February 20 in Dubai.
Rishabh Pant may be on the benches – Sanjay Bangar
The former India all-rounder said that Ravindra Jadeja or Axar Patel may not make it to the final XI. Bangar highlighted that Rishabh Pant could find himself on the bench for India’s opening match of Champions Trophy 2025.
“Then one between Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel and a back-up wicketkeeper. So in that case Rishabh Pant could be on the benches,” Bangar pointed out.
“My XI would be Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh,” he said.
He Gained Fitness and Ready to Bowl – Sanjay Bangar
During the interaction, Sanjay Bangar said that Ajit Agarkar is confident of Mohammad Shami’s eligibility. Bangar noted that India’s bowling attack looks strong with the return of Shami along with Kuldeep Yadav. He highlighted Shami’s consistent efforts in all three formats for the domestic team.
“With Shami’s back and Kuldeeb’s back, the bowling looks really good. Shami, as you know, has been working from one format to another, where he has played in three formats for his domestic team,” he replied.
“So it is a clear indication that he has gained fitness over a period of time and is ready to bowl the required number of overs to bowl at a high intensity. So he should play most of the games straight from the field. The first game against England and the more games he plays, the more he as good as history says about Muhammad Shami,” Bangar reasoned.
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