In an unexpected move, Team India has selected Harshit Rana to bowl alongside Mohammed Shami in their tournament opener against Bangladesh in the Champions Trophy 2025, opting for him over Arshdeep Singh. This decision was anticipated ever since Harshit Rana made his ODI debut. Gautham Gambhir, the team's coach, was particularly keen on including Harshit in the squad, especially after Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out due to injury.
Gambhir ensured that Harshit Rana made his debut immediately after being included in the team a few days ago for the match against England, which ultimately delayed Arshdeep Singh's debut.
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Harshit took advantage of the opportunity, performing well by taking 6 wickets in two matches at an impressive average of 11, with a best performance of 3 for 33. Although he can be expensive with his bowling, his aggressive approach—focused on attacking the batsmen—has earned him the approval of Coach Gambhir. This wicket-taking ability was a significant factor in choosing Harshit over Arshdeep for the opener against Bangladesh.
On the other hand, Arshdeep Singh made his debut in the final match against England, where he performed decently. However, his performance was not definitive enough to guarantee his inclusion in the first match. Nonetheless, he is likely to get opportunities as the tournament progresses, given his potential as a left-arm seamer, which could be advantageous for India in the upcoming matches against New Zealand and Bangladesh.
Also Read: Bangladesh chose to Bat First, Rohit Sharma happy to Chase!
Bangladesh Opt to Bat against India
Bangladesh’s Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto opted to Bat First against India in Dubai, This decision was a huge surprise from the Bangladesh captain considering the dew factor, But he’s confident in putting some runs on the board since they have a good bowling attack on paper.
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Stat Alert
Rohit Sharma and India now have lost their 11th ODI Toss in a row since the 2023 World Cup, India has now equalled the Netherlands streak of losing 11 tosses in a row.
