Jigsaw puzzle for selectors ahead of Champions Trophy
CHENNAI: In an alternate universe, the victorious Indian contingent would have touched down with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy safely tucked away in one of the checked-in baggage earlier this week. However, after losing the crown, a title they had held since winning it at home in March 2017, all members of the team came back.
Some of them have already dispersed to join their state teams for domestic assignments.
There’s no time to ruminate, though. Not in this calendar when there’s an international assignment every other week. In two weeks or so, some of the Test players will link hands with the Suryakumar Yadav-led T20 side for a series against England.
But the important series will be the one after that. The three-match ODI affair against the same opponents in Nagpur (February 6), Cuttack (February 9) and Ahmedabad (February 12).
With the third match scheduled to take place a mere eight days before India’s opener at the Champions Trophy (Bangladesh on February 20), expect a near full-strength side for that series for multiple reasons.
For one, this team does not play many ODIs. Since the beginning of 2024, they have played only three (zero wins, two losses to Sri Lanka). While it’s true that modern players are well versed in the grammar of adapting to different formats with minimal fuss, the three medium-format games against England give the side an invaluable opportunity to shake off the ring rust.
There’s also the complicated question of legacy apropos the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and the likes. Both of them excelled at the 2023 World Cup thanks to the role clarity they had. As it stands, the former will be captain apart from being tasked with taking the game on in the powerplay with the latter milking the bowling through the middle phase.
That, though, is just part of the problem the selectors face before picking the side for the England series and the Champions Trophy. Here’s a look at some of the discussions the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel will have before crystallising the names on the teamsheet.