Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra has opened up on India’s weaknesses ahead of the Champions Trophy. Chopra noted that the recently concluded ILT20 (which was played at Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai) was dominated by fast bowlers and surprisingly Indian selectors have picked five spinners in the Champions Trophy squad.
The Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel has backed Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, and Varun Chakravarthy in the squad whereas Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana will form the pace battery.
India will play all of their matches in Dubai and Chopra highlighted that the conditions will be more suited to the fast bowlers than spinners.
Meanwhile, there was a solitary spinner among the top-10 wicket-takers of ILT20 2025. Wanindu Hasaranga finished as the 10th-highest wicket-getter with 12 scalps in nine matches. The top nine wicket-takers were all pacers.
“When the moon has spots on it, we too will have some weaknesses. The biggest concern I am seeing is that we have picked five spinners. If we see the numbers only in Dubai, the ILT20 was heavily dominated by the fast bowlers. 70 percent of the wickets were taken by the fast bowlers and we are taking five spinners,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
“We are also going to play three spinners in the playing XI. So if we are going to play three and have five spinners in our squad, that cannot be our strength because the conditions are going to be different. The square is extremely hard and has a little grass on it,” he observed.
Meanwhile, Chopra highlighted that there is a lack of experience in India’s fast-bowling line-up. While Arshdeep Singh has played only nine ODIs, Harshit Rana has played three games.
“The fast bowling is also slightly weak. Arshdeep played an ODI just now and in August before that. He has an overall experience of less than 10 ODIs. Harshit Rana has experience of two or three ODIs,” he said.
Mohammed Shami recently made his comeback to International cricket after a long hiatus but he is yet to hit the ground running.
“Mohammed Shami has returned but he is not looking the same bowler. Understandably, Bumrah is not there but Siraj is also not there. So suddenly your fast bowling, which could have been better on these pitches, is also looking slightly weak,” Chopra observed.
India will begin their Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh in Dubai on February 20.
