Follow UsIndia have picked five spinners for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, all set to be played in UAE. Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar and Varun Chakravarthy are the tweakers who will be part of the eight-team event and current UAE head coach Lalchand Rajput is surprised to see this.
"It's still winter in the UAE. It's that time of the year when there is still some help for the fast bowlers on the wickets here, and there is good carry. I found it a bit surprising that India have picked five spinners in their squad," Rajput,who has been in charge of the UAE team for a year, told TOI.
Rajput also expects the pitch in Dubai to be flat.
"If you saw the final of the recently-held edition of ILT20 between Desert Vipers and Dubai Capitals, 380 runs were scored in that match Desert Vipers scored 189/5 in 20 overs, while Dubai Capitals overcame that target in the final over."
"Remember that Pakistan are the hosts of the tournament. With India not having Jasprit Bumrah, Pakistan may opt for a seamer-friendly surface or a flat track."
However, Rajput agrees with the Indian selectors' decision to pick Chakravarthy, as the 63-year-old believes that he will be the X-factor in the tournament.
"Varun is bowling superbly at the moment. He could be India's 'X-factor' in the tournament. Pakistan, especially, may find it difficult to tackle him, since their batters don't play in the IPL. He's now a completely different and a far better bowler than when he made his India debut in the T20 World Cup four year back in Dubai," Rajput reckons.
Another call that surprised Rajput was India preferring KL Rahul over Rishabh Pant in the One-Day International (ODI) series against England. As things look, that will be the case even in the Champions Trophy.
"Honestly, it's a call which has surprised me because Pant is a game-changer. I have seen that they are sending Axar Patel ahead of Rahul at No. 5. At No. 6, Pant is the ideal finisher, somebody who can accelerate in the end. There is no doubt in my mind that Pant should play ahead of Rahul," Rajput asserted.
India begin their Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh on February 20.