The legendary Ravichandran Ashwin made some bold calls as he revealed his best XI from the recently concluded Champions Trophy 2025. Interestingly, the 38-year-old left out the winning captain Rohit Sharma and the joint-second-highest wicket-taker, Mohammed Shami.
India won all their matches in the eight-team tournament, beating New Zealand by four wickets in a riveting final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, March 9. However, only four Indian players made it to Ashwin’s Champions Trophy 2025 ‘Team of the Tournament‘.
Ashwin picked Rachin Ravindra and Ben Duckett as his two openers, instead of Rohit, who won the Player of the Match (POTM) award in the final. For No. 3, Ashwin had to make a tough call between Virat Kohli and Joe Root. However, the off-spinner eventually went for Kohli, lauding his performance in pressure situations, particularly in the game against Pakistan.
Shreyas Iyer – India’s highest run-scorer in Champions Trophy 2025 – was a straightforward pick for Ashwin at the No. 4 position. The former Indian spin legend left out the likes of Axar Patel, KL Rahul, and Hardik Pandya, who made significant contributions for India in clutch moments.
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The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) spinner picked Josh Inglis as his wicketkeeper-batter, while David Miller was chosen for the finisher’s role. Azmatullah Omarzai and Michael Bracewell were the two all-rounders picked in Ashwin’s lineup.
Spin dominance and lone pacer in Ashwin’s Best XI
In the bowling department, Ravichandran Ashwin had no hesitation in picking the Indian spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy. Kuldeep took seven wickets in five games, while Chakravarthy proved to be India’s game-changer on several occasions, finishing with nine wickets in just three matches. Ashwin named Matt Henry, the tournament’s highest wicket-taker, as the only specialist pacer in the side. New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner was picked as the 12th man.
Ashwin’s CT 2025 Team of the Tournament:
Rachin Ravindra, Ben Duckett, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Josh Inglis, David Miller, Azmatullah Omarzai, Michael Bracewell, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Matt Henry.
12th man: Mitchell Santner.
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