Former batting coach Sanjay Bangar has named India’s starting XI for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 match against Bangladesh. Sanjay Bangar selects Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah as his primary seamers, assuming both are fit and available , with Mohammed Shami as the backup seamer.

Mohammad Shami injured his right heel during the 2023 ODI World Cup. After the game, he underwent surgery and took a year off to recover. He missed some major events such as the home Test series against England, Border-Gavaskar Trophy, IPL and T20 World Cup. Shami has now made a full recovery.

Mohammad Shami is not an opener for me – Sanjay Bangar

During a discussion on Star Sports show ‘Follow the Blues’, Sanjay Bangar picked his favorite starting XI against Bangladesh. He said Mohammad Shami might be left out of the starting XI if both Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah are fit.

“You eliminate a fast bowler. If both Arshdeep and Bumrah are available, then you eliminate someone like Shami. So for me, Shami is not an opener,” Bangal said.

After proving his prowess in domestic cricket for Bangladesh, Shami has been included in the squad for the five-match T20I series against England. He was also named in the 15-man squad for the prestigious event. India will play its first match against Bangladesh on February 20 in Dubai.

Rishabh Pant may be on the bench – Sanjay Bangar

The former India all-rounder said that neither Ravindra Jadeja nor Axar Patel might make it into the final XI. Bangar highlighted that Rishabh Pant is likely to be on the bench for the 2025 India Champions Trophy opener.

“Then one between Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel and a reserve wicketkeeper. So in this case, Rishabh Pant Te (Rishabh Pant) may be on the bench,” Bangal observed.

“My XI will be Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh,” he said.

He is fit and ready to bowl – Sanjay Bangar

During the interaction, Sanjay Bangar said that Ajit Agarkar has no doubts about Mohammed Shami’s health. Bangal noted that with the return of Shami and Kuldeep Yadav, India’s bowling attack looks strong. He highlighted Shami’s consistent efforts for the domestic side in all three formats.

“With Shami and Kuldeep back, the bowling is looking really, really good. As you know, Shami is moving from one format to another in which he has been batting for his domestic team Three formats,” he replied.

“So it’s a clear indication that, over a period of time, he has regained his fitness and is ready to bowl at high intensity for the required number of overs. So, he should be available for most of the games from the start of the tournament.” Game 1 England, the more games he plays, the better he gets because that’s what history has taught Mohammad Shami,” Bangal reasoned.

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