Team India demonstrated widespread player contributions, securing the Champions Trophy 2025 title by defeating New Zealand in the Dubai final on Sunday. However, renowned Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin made unconventional decisions when selecting his Tournament Team for the Champions Trophy. Ashwin omitted many former teammates, choosing only four Indians for his XI. The most prominent exclusion from Ashwin’s team was Indian captain and opener Rohit Sharma.
Instead, Ashwin opted for New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra and England’s Ben Duckett as opening batsmen. Ravindra was named Player of the Tournament, while Duckett impressively scored 165 in England’s opening match against Australia.
For the No. 3 position, Ashwin considered both Virat Kohli and Joe Root, ultimately selecting Kohli, acknowledging his crucial performances in high-pressure situations like the match against Pakistan. Shreyas Iyer, India’s top scorer in the Champions Trophy 2024, was an obvious choice for him at No. 4.
Ashwin did not include any more Indians until the bowling lineup, excluding players like Axar Patel, KL Rahul, and Hardik Pandya, despite their significant contributions to Team India throughout the tournament.
However, Ashwin included Australia’s Josh Inglis, South Africa’s David Miller, Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai, and New Zealand’s Michael Bracewell in his XI.
Omarzai stood out in the tournament, even though Afghanistan did not advance past the group stage. Omarzai scored 126 runs in three games with a strike rate exceeding 100, and also took seven wickets, including a five-wicket haul.
In the bowling department, Ashwin selected the Indian spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy without hesitation. Kuldeep claimed seven wickets in five games, while Chakravarthy proved to be India’s game-changer on several occasions, taking nine wickets in just three matches.
For his final selection, Ashwin chose a leading fast bowler. Again, he omitted an Indian star, Mohammed Shami, instead picking Matt Henry, the tournament’s highest wicket-taker. Henry took 10 wickets in four games, while Shami took nine in five. Mitchell Santner of New Zealand was chosen as the 12th man by Ashwin.
Ravichandran Ashwin’s Champions Trophy 2025 Team of the Tournament: Rachin Ravindra, Ben Duckett, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Josh Inglis, David Miller, Azmatullah Omarzai, Michael Bracewell, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Matt Henry. 12th man: Mitchell Santner.
