Rohit Sharma Led Indian Cricket Team Departed for Dubai
Led by Rohit Sharma, the Indian cricket team departed for Dubai on February 15, 2025, from Mumbai to participate in the ICC Champions Trophy. The team will play all their matches in Dubai, with the rest of the tournament being held in Pakistan. The Champions Trophy marks its return after eight years, with the last event held in 2017.
India is set to play its first match against Bangladesh on February 20 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. A highly anticipated match against Pakistan is scheduled for February 23.
The squad includes Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, and others. The team is entering the competition with eight players from their victorious T20 World Cup 2024 campaign. However, they have suffered a setback with Jasprit Bumrah ruled out due to injury, replaced by Harshit Rana, while Varun Chakaravarthy comes in for Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Gautam Gambhir, the head coach, along with other support staff, accompanied the team. The tournament will be played in a hybrid format, with India playing all its matches in Dubai. The eight participating teams are divided into two groups; India is in Group A along with Pakistan, Bangladesh, and New Zealand. Former UAE coach Robin Singh anticipates spin-friendly pitches for the Indian team in Dubai.