‘I’ve made my decision. You’re not playing’: Gambhir to drop Indian superstar from Champions Trophy clash vs Bangladesh

Washington Sundar is set to feature in India’s opening match of the 2025 Champions Trophy against Bangladesh in Dubai on Thursday, with the team likely to drop either Ravindra Jadeja or Axar Patel. According to visuals shown on Star Sports ahead of the match, it seems Jadeja is the most likely to be left out.

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India Rethink Spin Combination Against Left-Hand-Heavy Bangladesh Lineup

India have picked two specialist spinners and three spin-bowling all-rounders for the Champions Trophy. Jadeja and Axar, who possess identical skill sets, played the first two matches against England in the bilateral series, but the team will likely change that combination against Bangladesh, a side featuring several left-handers in their top seven. In fact, Bangladesh’s top three—openers Tanzid Hasan and Soumya Sarkar, along with captain Najmul Hossain Shanto—are all left-handers.

Experts Question Decision to Drop Jadeja Despite Strong Track Record

Former India leg-spinner Piyush Chawla said, “Bangladesh’s playing XI includes many left-handers. However, both Jadeja and Axar have performed exceptionally well for India. I believe India should have picked them for the first game since Kuldeep can turn the ball away from the left-handers.”

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Hesson Confirms Jadeja’s Exclusion for Champions Trophy Opener

“He’s (Jadeja) not playing,” said Hesson when asked to share his thoughts on visuals of Gambhir talking to Jadeja, where the visual ended with the coach tapping on the all-rounder’s shoulders. “You can tell from the body language that he’s being told he’s not playing. (Gambhir is saying), ‘That’s my decision. I’ve made it. You may not agree with it but thank you very much. You may go on to play the next one but for the first match, we’re playing the off-spinner,” Hesson added.

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