It has been close to 12 years that an Indian cricket team won an ICC men’s ODI tournament, with the summer of 2013 being the last time this happened, when MS Dhoni and his unit lifted the Champions Trophy. Since then, it has been heartbreak at such global one-day tournaments, with World Cup semi-final exits in 2015 and 2019 followed by defeat to Australia in 2013, and the loss to Pakistan in the Champions Trophy final of 2017 sandwiched somewhere in between.
The current Indian team, led by Rohit Sharma, has its share of concerns, the biggest loss being Jasprit Bumrah. But looking at how India have [almost] patented the ODI format, and as their success in Dubai – five wins from six ODIs – and the level of competition in their group, as well as the expected two teams to emerge from Group B into the semi-finals, I believe this is a team good enough to win the Champions Trophy in the UAE.
Setting aside the lingering images of Rohit and Virat Kohli struggling in red-ball cricket for the past five-odd months, there is a rosier impression of the pair in ODI blues. Kohli has a record 50 centuries in the ODI format, and Rohit has three double-hundreds. Reflexes are waning, yes, but these are two all-time ODI greats we are discussing.
Rohit recently shrugged aside some worry by smoking a century against England, and Kohli eased his way to 52 off 55 deliveries in the final ODI of that series. If Rohit can deliver starts inside the Powerplay as he did during the 2023 World Cup, and if Kohli can dig deep into his reservoir of ODI experience to conjure up some middle-over masterclasses, these two 50-over behemoths could be the most dangerous batting pair of the Champions Trophy.
Between Rohit, 38, and Kohli, 37, is the 25-year-old Shubman Gill. Over the past five years, Gill has scored more runs than any of his Indian team-mates (2571 at an average of 62 at a strike-rate of 102) with the joint most hundreds (seven) with Kohli. More than Tests and T20 cricket, is in the ODI game that Gill looks the most assured and fluent, as testament to some big innings, including a double-hundred. He possesses all the shots and has the apt temperament to bat deep in ODIs, which sets Gill aside for what could be a bumper Champions Trophy. Make no doubt, he is the anchor around with Rohit, Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and the lower middle order can flourish.
Speaking of the middle order, India are the envy of all white-ball teams given the presence of Hardik Pandya. When fit and firing on all cylinders, there is arguably no more valuable allrounder in ODIs and T20Is. For evidence, look at Pandya’s all-round contributions as India won the T20 World Cup in 2024 without losing a single match. Pandya has runs and wickets to his credit recently, coming off a successful domestic stint with Baroda before the white-ball visit by England. I would not be surprised if Pandya has a big role to play in helping India to the final, and then potentially playing a massive hand there.
Given that India will play all their games in Dubai, we can expect to see some turn. Not vicious turn, but enough to bring all their spinners into play. They have picked five of them, and three will be played in every match, of this we can be certain. Whether India needed a fifth spinner is debatable but based on Jadeja’s recent bowling form in ODIs and Axar’s knack of taking out set batsmen, and the subtleties in Kuldeep Yadav’s bowling, India have three first-pick spinners who can give you 30 top overs. And, if needed, the all-sorts offerings of Varun Chakravarthy could be lethal on those Dubai tracks.
And lastly, to the fast-bowling pack. In the absence of Bumrah, India have to pick one of Harshit Rana – all of three ODIs old – or Arshdeep Singh – who has played just nine ODIs – to partner Mohammed Shami with the new ball. Rana offers a shot of pace and aggression, as we saw during this debut series recently, but could be erratic. Arshdeep lacks in pace, but his ODI record proves that he takes wickets upfront and at the back end of innings.
Shami returned to international cricket after 14 months in the home series versus England, and while his pace was down, we are talking about a bowler who has consistently raised his game in ICC events. No Indian bowler has taken more than Shami’s 55 wickets at ODI World Cups – the next best is Zaheer Khan with 44 – and he has also tasted success in his three trips to the T20 World Cup. Doubts linger, for sure, but if Shami can be half as good he was when coming off the bench three games into India’s 2023 World Cup campaign, this attack will have a terrific leader. Add on Rana’s pace, Arshdeep’s guile and Pandya’s effectiveness, and India have a more than decent pace quarter for the Dubai conditions.
Is this an ideal Indian team for a major ICC event? No. Is it one that can get the job done in Dubai, in a quick-gun format where you must win two out of three matches to make the semi-finals? Yes. Are India capable of making it to the final? With some luck, of course. Can they win the Champions Trophy? I would not put it past them.
