India’s limited ODI exposure before champions trophy 2025: What it means for its chances — a statistical deep dive

India’s limited ODI exposure before champions trophy 2025: What it means for its chances — a statistical deep dive

India will head into the 2025 Champions Trophy on the back of one of the leanest build-ups it has ever had for a multi-team event in recent years.

Since its defeat in the 2023 World Cup final to Australia, India has played just nine ODIs — the fewest of any team set to take part in the Champions Trophy and the second-lowest overall, behind Ireland.

To put it into context, India had played more ODIs (30) than any other team in the 12 months leading up to the previous ODI World Cup. This allowed the team to zero in on the right playing combination, enabling it to embark on a near-spotless run in the tournament.

However, that has not been the case for the upcoming Champions Trophy. Despite playing just nine games, India has used 27 players in ODIs since November 19, 2023 — the third-most by any team.

The lack of selection clarity was evident in the first ODI against England. It began with India’s decision to select Harshit Rana over Arshdeep Singh in the playing XI, despite the former not being picked for the Champions Trophy and the latter being included.

Then came the comment from Shreyas Iyer — who scored a match-winning fifty — after the game, stating that he was not supposed to play in Nagpur but was drafted in due to Virat Kohli’s injury. This indicated India’s intention to break its battle-hardened ODI batting spine and introduce Yashasvi Jaiswal as Rohit Sharma’s opening partner, pushing Shubman Gill and Kohli down the order.

Also in the spotlight was the surprise inclusion of mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy in the ODI squad for the England series. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma hinted ahead of the opening game that the Tamil Nadu tweaker could make a late dash for the Champions Trophy squad, depending on his performances against England.

Varun’s last-minute introduction into the mix came on the back of his impressive performances in T20Is, which has been India’s primary focus in recent times.

Since the last ODI World Cup final, India has played 38 T20Is — the second-most in the world. Interestingly, 20 of them have come after India’s T20 World Cup win in June. This is despite the fact that the next edition of the 20-over World Cup is over a year away.

To top it off, India has also played 17 Tests in the last 14 months — only England has played as many red-ball games in this period.

India’s lackadaisical approach to its preparation for the Champions Trophy is not just detrimental to its prospects in the tournament.

With T20 franchise leagues popping up like mushrooms and Test cricket experiencing a roaring revival, the ODI format is fighting a losing battle to stay relevant. Any sign of disinterest from India, the financial powerhouse of world cricket, could be the death knell for the 50-over game.