Poonam Nath

ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Rohit Sharma-led team India departs for Dubai

Digital Desk: India's senior men's cricket squad, led by skipper Rohit Sharma, has departed Mumbai for Dubai for the most anticipated match in the ICC Champions Trophy, starting on February 19.

The Indian team's Group A matches will be hosted at the Dubai International Stadium, with the remaining games taking place in Pakistan.

Pictures from Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport show Rohit Sharma and his squad, as well as support workers, checking in to board their trip to Dubai.

Originally, the team was supposed to leave in groups of two. However, after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released new policy guidelines last month requiring the team to travel together on international tours, the decision was taken for the squad to depart from Mumbai for the eight-team competition.

India will be missing fast-bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who is rehabilitating from a lower back injury sustained during the fifth Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Sydney last month. Harshit Rana, a fast bowling all-rounder, has been appointed Bumrah’s substitute.

Additionally, wrist-spinner Varun Chakravarthy has been added to the squad at the cost of Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was originally part of the early lineup.

Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj, and Shivam Dube will remain non-traveling substitutes.

India, the two-time Champions Trophy winners, will begin their campaign against Bangladesh on February 20. 

The highly anticipated match against Pakistan will be played on February 23, followed by their last Group A match against New Zealand on March 2.