India Name 16-Man Squad for Champions Trophy, Pant and Shami Included

India have announced their provisional 16-man squad for the Champions Trophy, with Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav returning from injury, while Yashasvi Jaiswal earns his maiden ODI call-up.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a provisional 15-member squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy, featuring the return of injured pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah and spinner Kuldeep Yadav. Bumrah, who suffered back spasms during the recent Test series against Australia, has been included in the squad, subject to his fitness. Yadav, who picked up a groin injury in October, is also set to make a comeback.

Wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, who was surprisingly left out of the squad for the T20 series against England, has been named in the Champions Trophy squad by chief selector Ajit Agarkar and captain Rohit Sharma. Pant's inclusion is a significant boost to the Indian team, which will be looking to make a strong impact in the eight-team competition. Fast bowler Mohammed Shami, who is returning from an ankle injury, has also been retained in the squad.

Ajit Agarkar expressed his confidence in Shami's abilities, stating, “You don't have to talk about quality when it comes to Shami. We picked him for T20Is just to get him up to speed.” Shami's experience and skill will be crucial for India in the Champions Trophy. Meanwhile, Yashasvi Jaiswal has received his maiden ODI call-up, putting him in line for a potential debut in the format. India will begin their Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh on February 20th.

India's Provisional Squad for the Champions Trophy

The following 16 players have been selected for India's provisional squad:

1. Rohit Sharma (Captain)

2. Shubman Gill (Vice-Captain)

3. Virat Kohli

4. Shreyas Iyer

5. KL Rahul

6. Hardik Pandya

7. Axar Patel

8. Washington Sundar

9. Kuldeep Yadav

10. Jasprit Bumrah

11. Mohammed Shami

12. Arshdeep Singh

13. Yashasvi Jaiswal

14. Rishabh Pant

15. Ravindra Jadeja