Gambhir preferred Hardik Pandya over Shubman Gill for vice-captaincy: Report
What's the story
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on January 18, announced the 15-member squad for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
The announcement was made at a press conference at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.
Rohit Sharma has been named the team captain, with Shubman Gill as his deputy for the prestigious tournament from February 19 to March 9.
However, Gill's vice-captaincy role has been making headlines since the announcement.
Vice-captaincy debate
Gambhir's preference for vice-captaincy differed from Sharma, Agarkar
A Dainik Jagran report revealed that India's head coach Gautam Gambhir had initially preferred Hardik Pandya for the vice-captaincy role in the upcoming ICC tournament.
However, his preference didn't match with that of team captain Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar, who both backed Gill for the role.
This difference of opinion resulted in Gill being appointed as vice-captain instead of Pandya.
Leadership changes
History of Gill, Pandya's leadership
Notably, Pandya had previously been India's vice-captain in the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup and 2024 T20 World Cup. However, he was subsequently stripped of the leadership roles.
Although he was set to captain India's T20I side after Sharma's retirement from the format in June 2024, Suryakumar Yadav was surprisingly appointed captain instead of Pandya.
Meanwhile, Gill kept his vice-captaincy from his stint during the ODI series against Sri Lanka in August 2024.
Wicketkeeper debate
Gambhir's choice for wicketkeeper differed from Sharma, Agarkar
Along with the vice-captaincy debate, Gambhir also reportedly preferred Sanju Samson as the wicketkeeper-batter in India's Champions Trophy squad. However, Sharma and Agarkar preferred Rishabh Pant for the role.
Samson, who made history by becoming the first batter with three T20I tons in a calendar year (2024), last played an ODI in December 2023, in South Africa. He scored a century in that match.
Squad changes
Siraj excluded from India's 50-over side
In another shocking move, senior pacer Mohammed Siraj was dropped from India's side for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
Left-arm fast seamer Arshdeep Singh, who has been leading India's T20I pace attack, was chosen over him. He will be joined by Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami in the squad.
While Bumrah's fitness remains a concern, Shami will be making his ODI return after over a year.