Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Rajat Patidar has expressed his desire to captain the franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. He said that if he gets an opportunity to lead he will be more than happy to captain. 
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has built up a solid squad for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. But what caught the attention of many was they didn't name any captaincy option, and it has kept many confused as to who will captain the team. 
One of the names that have emerged to lead Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL is Rajat Patidar. This is because of the kind of leadership that he has displayed in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024-25 for Madhya Pradesh. 
Rajat Patidar took Madhya Pradesh to the final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024-25 for the first time in the history of the tournament. He led from the front and looked a class apart in the event as he played aggressively and looked like a monster against spin. 
<h2> If I get an opportunity to lead RCB, that is what I am there for, and I will be happy - Rajat Patidar</h2>
Rajat Patidar slammed around 400 runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024-25 including 81 runs in the final. He was asked about leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The batter claimed that he wants to lead, but it will depend on the franchise. 
“Of course, if I get an opportunity to lead RCB, that is what I am there for, and I will be happy. But it all depends on the franchise," Rajat Patidar said as quoted by PTI. 
Rajat Patidar also said that getting retained by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru gave him a lot of confidence. While calling the franchise big, he added that he loves playing for the franchise. 
“Yes, definitely. RCB is a big franchise and I love playing for RCB. So it (retention) gave me a lot of confidence that they retained me." 
There were various reports which claimed that Virat Kohli will be taking the leadership role again. He stepped down as the captain in 2021. It remains to be seen who will lead the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2025.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/top-5-batters-with-most-100s-in-border-gavaskar-trophy-bgt/#google_vignette">Top 5 batters with most 100s in Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT)</a>

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Rajat Patidar has expressed his desire to captain the franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.

Rajat Patidar to captain RCB in IPL 2025? The batter makes the 'that is what I am there for' statement

Rajat-Patidar-to-captain-RCB-in-IPL-2025-The-batter-makes-the-that-is-what-I-am-there-for-statement

Who will become the new captain of the Royal Challengera Bengaluru (RCB) ahead of IPL 2025? This question is trending and it's creating a lot of excitement and curiosity among the fans of the franchise and the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Virat Kohli's close friend and the legendary South African and RCB batter AB de Villiers has given a prediction that Kohli will be seend handling the leadership duties of the franchise, but no official confirmation has been given yet regarding the same. On the other hand, legendary Indian off-spinner Ravi Ashwin has gone on to create a new theory and has given his verdict on who will become the new skipper of RCB?
The YouTube channel of Indian Cricket Team's legendary spinner Ravi Ashwin has become quite popular and his analytical videos which he uploads on a regular basis are very good and worth watching. 
Regarding the captaincy conundrum of the Bengaluru based franchise, he said, " If we look at all the things, it's looking highly likely that Virat will become the captain of RCB once again. The reason behind this is that they didn't buy any captain in the Mega-Auction. He (Kohli) can only be ignored for the captaincy post if RCB have decided to hand over the captaincy duties to someone else".

RCB acted in a smart way
When the Royal Challengers Bengaluru bought players in the Mega-Auction, the team management got criticized a lot and got trolled by Cricket fans. But, Ashwin believes that the three-time runner's up have managed to build a very strong squad. 
He said, "According to me, they (Bengaluru) had a great Mega-Auction. They had crores of Indian rupees in their auction purse, but their team management acted in a patient way. They knew which player they wanted and targeted those players who will thrive in their home-conditions."
The CSK spinner also mentioned that despite having the luxury of possessing so many Right-to-Match cards, the franchise bought players according to their needs and requirements. 
Mo Babat, the Director of Cricket of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru recently talked about the captaincy related news of the franchise. He described Kohli as a highly experienced, senior and a crucial player of the franchise, but according to him, no decision has been made yet regarding the next captain of the team

Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/ipl-2025-2-players-who-can-become-the-next-captain-of-rcb-if-virat-kohli-refuses-to-lead-the-team/#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IPL 2025: 2 players who can become the next captain of RCB if Virat Kohli refuses to lead the team</a>

R Ashwin and Virat Kohli hugging each other post the end of the RCB vs RR match in IPL 2024 | Image: Getty Images

RCB had a purse of 83 crore rupees, still they didn't buy a captain, will Virat become the skipper again? India's elite spinner explains

rcb-had-a-purse-of-83-crore-rupees-still-they-didnt-buy-a-captain-will-virat-become-the-skipper-again-indias-elite-spinner-explains

The 2025 IPL Mega-Auction concluded on a good note and all eyes were on Royal Challengers Bengaluru as they were in search of a new captain after deciding not to re-buy Faf du Plessis. However, their decision of not signing any player with proper captaincy experience has enraged their fans and many people are speculating that Virat the legendary Kohli might agree to handle the leadership duties of the franchise once again. 

South Africa and RCB Legend AB de Villiers recently gave a big hint on his YouTube-channel that Kohli will be seen donning the leadership hat once again for the franchise in the upcoming edition of the competition. But, no official confirmation has been given regarding this topic from the Elite Indian Cricketer or the Bengaluru based franchise. 

In such a situation, the question arises that if Kohli refuses to lead the team, then what other options will be available for the three-time runners up to handle the captaincy duties. In this article, we will take a look at two players who will be the perfect captaincy choices for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

<h2>2 Players who can become the next RCB captain ahead of IPL 2025</h2>

<h3>2. Krunal Pandya</h3>
Slow left arm orthodox bowling all-rounder Krunal Pandya has achieved the status of being a top-notch all-rounder in the IPL. He is a highly experienced player having taken part in 127 IPL matches, in which he has managed to score 1,647 runs with the bat and has dismissed batters 76 times. 

Krunal also has captaincy experience and he impressed a lot with his leadership-skills in the 2023 edition of the IPL. He led the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to three victories in six fixtures. 

This time around in the 2025 IPL Mega-Auction, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) bought him for a price tag of 5.75 crore Indian Rupees. Krunal also has a good record of leading Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the domestic T20 league of India and this experience might just work in favor of the all-rounder.

<h3>1. Bhuvneshwar Kumar</h3>

Right arm seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar who is a new addition to the squad of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru is one of the most experienced players of the franchise. The 34-year-old was purchased by Bengaluru in the Mega-Auction for big price tag of 10.75 crore Indian Rupees. 
 
Bhuvi is known for outfoxing the opposition batters with his ability to swing the new ball both ways and his exceptional death bowling skills. He is the highest ever wicket taker in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) having dismissed 181 batters so far. 
 
As far as leadership is concerned, Bhuvi has led 2016 IPL winners Sunrisers Hyderabad on multiple occasions in the tournament. Due to his calm nature and ability to perform well under pressure, he can take crucial decisions in a calm and patient manner. These skills give him the edge over Krunal to be the next captain of the Bengaluru based franchise.

IPL 2025: RCB's full squad: Virat Kohli, Tim David, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rajat Patidar, Suyash Sharma, Jacob Bethell, Krunal Pandya, Phil Salt (WK), Josh Hazelwood, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Swapnil Singh, Rasikh Salam, Liam Livingstone, Manoj Bhandage, Nuwan Thushara, Yash Dayal, Romario Shepherd, Devdutt Padikal, Mohit Rather, Lungisiani Ngidi, Swastik Chikara and Abhinandan Singh. 

Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/ipl-2025-rcbs-squad-analysis-and-strongest-playing-11/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IPL 2025: RCB's squad analysis and strongest Playing 11</a>

Besides Virat Kohli, the duo of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Krunal Pandya are also in contention to lead RCB in IPL 2025

IPL 2025: 2 players who can become the next captain of RCB if Virat Kohli refuses to lead the team

ipl-2025-2-players-who-can-become-the-next-captain-of-rcb-if-virat-kohli-refuses-to-lead-the-team

The IPL 2025 mega-auction marked every franchise bringing in some new players in their squads, while many teams are also in the hunt for a new player in the role of a skipper. 
 
Though every team has included the likes of several players in their squad, they are yet to announce who would be seen in a captain’s role. Likes of great <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Dhoni">MS Dhoni</a> and Rohit Sharma, the most successful among IPL skippers, have now decided to end their role as they continue to feature for their sides as players. 
 
With five of the franchises being certain over their captains, only the likes of the remaining sides are looking for a new captain, while some teams’ like the Punjab Kings went all loose to acquire the likes of last season's title-winning skipper Shreyas Iyer. 
 
<h2 dir="ltr">Let's see a list of skipper choices from all 10 franchises:</h2>
 
<h3 dir="ltr">Chennai Super Kings</h3>
 
CSK have been the most legendary side in the history of the IPL under the captaincy of MS Dhoni, and now the captaincy has passed onto the next generation of players in Ruturaj Gaikwad. Gaikwad will continue in the role of captain. 
 
<h3 dir="ltr">Mumbai Indians</h3>
 
The veteran all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, who replaced Rohit Sharma as the MI skipper, would once again be resuming duties in the IPL as the skipper, having the national skippers, SKY and Rohit Sharma, play under him. 
 
<h3 dir="ltr">Gujarat Titans</h3>
 
The Gujarat Titans have included several new players in the role, while Shubman Gill, the rising Indian sensation, remains to be the captain of the side, as per speculations made. 
 
<h3 dir="ltr">Sunrisers Hyderabad</h3>
 
The SRH side was led by World Cup-winning skipper Pat Cummins last season, as he led them to another final against the KKR, which they eventually lost. The skipper was retained with a whopping INR 18 crore and will resume his duties. 
 
<h3 dir="ltr">Rajasthan Royals</h3>
 
Sanju Samson, the skipper of the Royals side, seems fixed from the last few years, and he will continue to do so while also being their prime gloveman and opening batter. 
 
<h3 dir="ltr">Lucknow Super Giants</h3>
 
The LSG side looked very interested in Rishabh Pant, as they spent almost 1/3rd of their remaining purse, as Pant was included for a whopping INR 27 crore. However, if reports were to be considered and Pant unwilling to continue as skipper, then he might be seen playing under Nicholas Pooran; otherwise, Pant would take up captaincy for LSG from IPL 2025. 
 
<h3 dir="ltr">Delhi Capitals</h3>
 
The Capitals have made choices that seem to be significant for their future, as KL Rahul, who was swapped in from LSG to the Capitals squad, might be considered their ideal option for the role of the Capitals skipper. 
 
<h3 dir="ltr">Royal Challengers Bangalore</h3>
 
RCB are in the biggest dilemma over their choice of skipper, having not retained Faf. Earlier speculations suggested that Virat Kohli might be resuming his role as the skipper; however, no confirmed reports have been made from either end of the player or the management. 
 
<h3 dir="ltr">Punjab Kings</h3>
 
The Punjab Kings have not included Shreyas Iyer just for fun, as Iyer, the captain with the defending title, was bought in for a whopping INR 26.75 crore to be termed the captain of the side under Ponting. 
 
<h3 dir="ltr">Kolkata Knight Riders</h3>
 
The defending champions have let go of their skipper and are not looking to bring any such player who can be decisive as a captain, Sunil Narine who captains their other sides, Andre Russell, while also their heavily invested Venkatesh Iyer, all would stand a chance to be seen in the role of a skipper. 

ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/ipl-2025-csk-squad-after-auction-players-prices-and-full-swot-analysis/">Chennai Super Kings Full Team SWOT analysis </a>

Let's take a good look at the players who can fit into the shoes of a captain.

Like Virat Kohli resuming as RCB captain, Hardik Pandya continuing as MI skipper, and Shreyas Iyer moving to PBKS as their skipper, let's take a good look at the players who can fit into the shoes of a captain.

Before the action resumes for IPL 2025, let's look at the possible choices for the franchises in the role of a skipper.

IPL 2025: Predicted Captains of All 10 Franchises for the upcoming season of the IPL

IPL-2025:-Predicted-Captains-of-All-10-Franchises-for-the-upcoming-season-of-the-IPL

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have been constantly criticised for their poor auction strategies and this around as well the situation has been the same. The Bengaluru based team's fans are extremely unhappy with the franchise's decision of not retaining the services of Will Jacks, but if we take a look at the squad which the franchise has built ahead of IPL 2025, this team can field a phenomenal starting XI combination.The three time runners-up had retained the services of Yash Dayal, Virat Kohli and batter Rajat Patidar ahead of the 2025 IPL Mega-auction. 

RCB have built a powerful &amp; strong squad

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru have the legendary Virat Kohli in their team since the inaugural edition of the cash rich T20 league and the 36-year-old can be seen opening the innings this time around too. He's the only batter in the history of the tournament to cross the 8,000 runs mark and his performance with the bat will play a crucial role in the success of the Bengaluru based team. 

England's hard hitting wicket-keeper batsman Phil Salt was signed by Bengaluru in the Mega-auction for a whooping price tag of 11.50 crore Indian rupees and he had a successful season with the Kolkata Knight Riders, scoring 435 runs while opening the inning alongside Sunil Narine. Salt prefers to bat aggressively so his aggressive nature can prove to be helpful for Bengaluru. 

Right handed batter Rajat Patidar has proven on multiple occasions about his batting capability and his ability to bat well under pressure means he's a vital cog of the RCB batting unit. He will continue to bat at his preferred number three position, while Indian wicket-keeper batter Jitesh Sharma, who was signed in the Mega-auction for mammoth price tag of 11 crore Indian rupees can handle the number four batting duties. Sharma has so far amassed a total of 730 IPL runs in 40 games. 

The hard-hitting duo of Tim David and Liam Livingstone, the newest additions in the roster of Royal Challengers Bengaluru can come in to bat at number five and six positions. Both of these players are well known for their hard hitting abilities with the bat, they can roll their arms over when required and they have scored high number of runs with their aggressive-batting style in International Cricket for their respective teams. 
The presence of these two provides some really good batting depth and stability to the three-time runner's up. Hardik Pandya's elder brother Krunal Pandya was picked up in the auction by the franchise as well and he will be playing the role of the spin-bowling All-rounder.

Top-notch bowling attack

Indian Cricket Team's swing master Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be seen leading the fast-bowling unit of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League. Bhuvi's services were acquired for 10.75 crore Indian rupees and his acquisition might end up proving to be a fantastic one. 

Alongside Bhuvi, elite Australian Fast-Bowler Josh Hazelwood has also become a part of the team. The 33-year-old played a key role with the ball for Bengaluru in the 2021 edition of the tournament and he will be expected to do the same this time around as well. 

Apart from these two players, one of Yash Dayal Or Nuwan Thushara can be witnessed playing the role of the third pacer. At the same time, Bengaluru lacks in the spin-department as Krunal is the only main-spinner in the team. 

England's wonderkid Jacob Bethell is a part of the squad too, but he does not the experience of bowling on Indian surfaces. Swapnil Singh will be playing the role of the backup spinner. 

The bench-strength of the Bengaluru-based team looks strong too. If the team management decides to make Dayal their main pacer, then the likes of Romario Shepherd, Rasikh Salam, Thushara and Manoj Bhandage can play the roles of being the backups. 

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's strongest Starting XI in IPL 2025: Phil Salt (WK), Rajat Patidar, Liam Livingstone, Virat Kohli, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Yash Dayal, Jacob Bethell, Krunal Pandya, Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar.

Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/ipl-2025-rcb-squad-after-auction-players-prices-and-full-swot-analysis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IPL 2025: RCB Squad after Auction, Players, Prices and Full SWOT Analysis</a>

RCB IPL 2025 squad | Image: X (RCB Tweets)

IPL 2025: RCB's squad analysis and strongest Playing 11

ipl-2025-rcbs-squad-analysis-and-strongest-playing-11

The IPL 2025 mega-auctions marked one of the biggest auctions in the history of the IPL, consisting of one of the largest pools of players in over a decade. Every franchise included a huge bunch of players, as over 200 players went sold in the auction. 
 
This time around, a huge entrustment in Indian pacers was shown by the IPL franchises, as several Indian as well as overseas pacers went for some immense amount of money. From Arshdeep Singh’s whopping 18 crores to Mohammad Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Mohammed Shami getting a double-digit bid for the first time, the Indian pacers specially aced the IPL mega-auction. 
 
Among overseas options as well, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trent_Boult">Trent Boult</a>, Jofra Archer, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazelwood emerged as a few of the most heavily invested bowlers, over whom teams went on to spend a huge amount of their purses. 
 
<h2 dir="ltr">Let’s rate every team based on their Pace bowling deck:</h2>
 
<h3 dir="ltr">Chennai Super Kings: Mateesha Pathirana, Mukesh Choudhary, Jamie Overton, Khaleel Ahmed, Gurjapneet Singh, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Nathan Ellis, Sam Curran, and Anshul Kamboj. </h3>
 
Rating: 7/10
 
Though the Chennai Super Kings have one of the finest blends of pace and spin on their side, their pace deck looks a bit inexperienced. With the Lankan speedster Pathirana leading from the front, Khaleel Ahmed and Anhsul Kamboj, who recently gained stardom owing to his 10-wicket in a single inning, might turn out to be options sharing the new ball. 
 
While English all-rounders Sam Curran, Jamie Overton, and Aussie ace T20I bowler Nathan Ellis seem to be the backup options for CSK if their bowling trio fails to capitalize. 
 
<h3 dir="ltr">Royal Challengers Bangalore: Josh Hazelwood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Romario Shepherd, Rasikh Dar, Yash Dayal, Nuwan Thusara, and Lungi Ngidi</h3>
 
Rating: 7/10
 
Rating: Owing to their lack of interest in spinners, the Challengers are not left with much except Krunal Pandya on their side. Hence, in the bowling deck, RCB would go with an all-pace attack, with experienced Bhuvi and Hazelwood leading alongside the two young Indian stars Yash and Rasikh Dar. 
 
<h3 dir="ltr">Rajasthan Royals: Jofra Archer, Yudhvir Singh, Sandeep Sharma, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Tushar Deshpande, and Akash Madhwal. </h3>
 
Rating: 7/10
 
The Royals came much later into the party, and their biggest among bids lay in Jofra Archer, the ex-Royals pace bowler who was brought back into the side. Meanwhile, Afghan pacer Farooqi might back up Archer owing to his prone injury status. 
 
Tushar Deshpande The rising talent from the CSK academy and Sandeep Sharma might be crucial to the team alongside Madhwal and Yudhvir, all not eminent yet aspiring names in the history of the game. 
 
<h3 dir="ltr">Delhi Capitals: Mitchell Starc, Thangarasu Natrajan, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, and Dusmantha Chameera. </h3>
 
Rating: 8/10
 
The Delhi Capitals do not have the most promising bowling lineup, as they have the least number of pacers on their side. Still, with a fine set of picks, they have included the hot favourites in the last auction's biggest buy, Mitchell Starc, and Indian medium pacers Mukesh Kumar and Natrajan as their other key seamers. 
 
Mohit Sharma played a very vital role for the Gujarat Titans last season during the death overs, while Natrajan and Mukesh were also the finest with the ball during the end phase. Now they would all play for the Delhi Capitals. 
 
<h3 dir="ltr">Kolkata Knight Riders: Harshit Rana, Andre Russell, Anrich Nortje, Vaibhav Arora, Spencer Johnson, and Umran Malik. </h3>
 
Rating: 8/10
 
The Kolkata Knight Riders have almost retained their entire deck of quick bowlers in Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora, the stars who bowled last time alongside the Aussie speedster. The Protea pacer Nortje or Aussie left-arm seamer Spencer Johnson might be placed to replace Starc in the XI. Umran Malik brings a raw pace alongside him; however, his way into the team doesn’t seem very likely, especially in the presence of an additional golden arm from Andre Russell. 
 
<h3 dir="ltr">Sunrisers Hyderabad: Pat Cummins, Mohammed Shami, Harshal Patel, NK Reddy, Brydon Carse, Simarjeet Singh, and Eshan Malinga. </h3>
 
Rating: 8/10
 
The Sunrisers Hyderabad have completely brought in new players to their bowling side alongside skipper Pat Cummins. Cummins will be leading a pace attack now comprised of another experienced hat, Mohammed Shami. 
 
Harshal Patel, the highest wicket-taker from the seasons of 2022 and 2024, will now be seen for the Orange Army, alongside fellow all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, currently dominating Aussies in the BGT. 
 
<h3 dir="ltr">Lucknow Super Giants: Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, Akash Deep, Shamar Joseph, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Mitchell Marsh, and Digvesh Singh</h3>
 
Rating: 8/10
 
The Lucknow Super Giants, having bought Rishabh Pant, were not left with much to invest in a lot of talented pacers; hence, though their pace deck doesn’t look fancy, it seems of great futuristic scope, especially under Zaheer Khan, the new LSG mentor. 
 
<h3 dir="ltr">Punjab Kings: Marco Jansen, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Aaron Hardie, Arshdeep Singh, Yash Thakur, Xavier Bartlett, Vyshak Vijay Kumar, and Lockie Ferguson. </h3>
 
Rating: 9/10
 
Punjab Kings have used their RTM to bring back their most trustworthy bowler, Arshdeep Singh, currently India’s most budding player in the shortest format. While alongside him, Marco Jansen, the lanky fast bowler from South Africa, will be an asset to Ponting’s side. 
 
Their deck would also comprise Vyshak, Stoinis the all-rounder, Omarzai, Hardie, Lockie Ferguson, and Yash Thakur, who among the main seamers can be of immense importance. 
 
<h3 dir="ltr">Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya, Raj Angad Bawa, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar, Reece Topley, and Lizaad Williams. </h3>
 
Rating: 9.5/10
 
Undoubtedly, the Mumbai Indians are one of the deadliest-looking teams when their bowling deck is considered. Other than their pacers, the overall team looks stunning on the team sheets. 
 
Led by world-class pace sensation Jasprit Bumrah, the MI pace deck will now have the services of Deepak Chahar and Trent Boult sharing the new ball in the powerplay, while middle-overs can have Pandya at the best services he can provide. 
 
<h3 dir="ltr">Gujarat Titans: Gerald Coetzee, Arshad Khan, Mohammad Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna, and Ishant Sharma. </h3>
 
Rating: 10/10
 
Probably, the second pacer deck looks like a nightmare to the franchises, as Kagiso Rabada will lead the pace bowling options alongside the Indian pace maestro Mohammad Siraj. 
 
However, what seems eminent on the Titans' side would be their backup options, and the 3rd or 4th pace options look equally promising alongside the frontline pacers. Prasidh Krishna, Coetzee, and young left-arm pacer Arshad Khan are expected to have a dream track under their belt in Ahmedabad.
ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/bgt-2024-australia-unveil-their-squad-for-the-2nd-test-this-player-has-been-added-as-cover-for-mitch-marsh/">Aussies call in debutant for Second Test at Adelaide </a>
<h1 class="jsx-12b9302b376ac3cf Introheading"></h1>

Pacers will be crucial from the point of view of the IPL franchises for the upcoming edition

The IPL 2025 mega-auctions marked one of the biggest auctions in the history of the IPL, consisting of one of the largest pools of players in over a decade. Every team looked to bolster their pace attack and hence rate them based on their bowling strengths.

The upcoming IPL will be an event to remember for their bowlers, as it's the pace deck that will bring glory to every franchise to their extent.

Rating All 10 IPL 2025 Franchises based on the strength of their pace bowling deck

rating-all-10-ipl-2025-franchises-based-on-the-strength-of-their-pace-bowling-deck

<img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/images/202411/image_870x_67481bd9012ce.jpg" alt="">
RCB Squad IPL 2025: The IPL 2025 auction is over, and RCB is one of the most talked-about franchises for its auction strategy. Here, we analyze the RCB squad's strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats in the upcoming IPL 2025.
Royal Challengers Bangaluru was one of the franchises with the most purse before the auction. They retained just three players- Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, and Yash Dayal. With a purse of over Rs 80Cr, everyone hoped they would rope in some big names, especially in the bowling department, but the management had different ideas.  
RCB team in the auction table was slightly inactive on DAY 1 of the auction. They let go of all the big names and roped in crucial but less-known names under the eyes for cheap. They really played smart on the table but the question is- do they have a strong squad to fight in the IPL 2025?
<h2>RCB Squad For IPL 2025</h2>
The RCB management indicated a complete change in the squad and built the team around Virat at the top, Patidar in the middle, and Yash Dayal in the bowling unit. They spent 23 Cr for just two pacers—Josh Hazlewood (Rs 12.25 Cr) and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar (Rs10.75 Cr). They roped in Jitesh Sharma (Rs 11 Cr) and Phil Salt (Rs 11.25 Cr) for another 22 Cr and then spent around 12 Cr for two allrounders, Krunal Pandya and Rasikh Dar. 
All in all, they have built a strong unit around some strong Indian options in all departments. Let's take a look at the RCB Squad for the Upcoming IPL 2025:
<div dir="ltr" align="left">
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 56.8074%; background-color: #f8cac6; border-color: #000000; border-style: ridge;"><colgroup><col width="59" style="width: 21.7721%;"><col width="159" style="width: 39.3382%;"><col width="158" style="width: 39.0908%;"></colgroup>
<thead>
<tr>
<th scope="col" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Player
</th>
<th scope="col" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Price
</th>
<th scope="col" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Country
</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Virat Kohli
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 21 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
India
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rajat Patidar
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 11 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
India
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Yash Dayal
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 5 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
India
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Liam Livingstone
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 8.75 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
England
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Jitesh Sharma 
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 11 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
India
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Josh Hazlewood 
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 12.50 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Australia
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Bhuvneshwar Kumar 
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 10.75 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
India
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rasikh Dar
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 6 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
India
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Phil Salt 
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 11.50 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
England
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Krunal Pandya 
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 5.75 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
India
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Suyash Sharma 
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 2.60 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
India
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Swapnil Singh
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 50 lakhs
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
India
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Tim David 
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 3 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Australia
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Jacob Bethell 
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 2.60 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
England
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Romario Shepherd 
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 1.50 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
West Indies
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Nuwan Thushara 
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 1.60 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Sri Lanka
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Devdutt Padikkal
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 2 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
India
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Swastik Chhikara
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 30 lakh
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
India
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Lungi Ngidi 
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 1 crore
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
South Africa
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Manoj Bhandage 
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 30 lakhs
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
India
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Abhinandan Singh 
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 30 lakh
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
India
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Mohit Rathee 
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rs. 30 lakh
</td>
<td style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
India
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"></div>
<h2>SWOT Analysis of RCB Squad</h2>
RCB spent most of its money on middle-order players and roped in players like Jitesh Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Krunal Pandya, and Tim David. They strengthened their middle order, which was the problem in the previous seasons. 
<ul>
<li>Batters: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Devdutt Padikkal, Swastik Chhikara, Tim David</li>
<li>Wicketkeepers: Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma</li>
<li>All-rounders: Liam Livingstone, Krunal Pandya, Swapnil Singh, Romario Shepherd, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethell</li>
<li>Fast bowlers: Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Dar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nuwan Thushara, Yash Dayal, Lungi Ngidi, Abhinandan Singh</li>
<li>Spinners: Suyash Sharma, Mohit Rathee</li>
</ul>
<h3>STRENGTHS of RCB Squad</h3>
RCB has always been known for its batting. From Chris Gyle and AB de Villiers to Virat Kohli and Dinesh Karthik, they have always had a batting-heavy squad. This time, they are among the strongest when it comes to batting power. With these names, they can play free and bold cricket, and they have also managed to rope in plenty of all-rounders to the team. 
Not only batting, but they also hold pretty strong fast bowling options. They have Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood, who are well-known for their tight bowling, and Rasikh Dar, who is an excellent middle over and death over bowler. 
<h3>WEAKNESSES of RCB Squad</h3>
They have weak spin-bowling options! With Suyash Sharma and Krunal Pandya seeming to be in the playing11, the spin department of RCB isn't promising even for their home ground. However, they have Liam Livingstone who can roll his arms, but that is not going to be enough. Spin is going to be their weak link.
<h3>OPPORTUNITIES in the RCB Squad</h3>
Playing with Virat Kohli, most likely under Virat Kohli, is a dream of many youngsters in India and across the world. There are a couple of young names in the squad, who can prove their young talent in the upcoming season. Especially, Suyash Sharma has a big opportunity to play bold and knock the international doors. 
Devdutt Padikkal is another name for opportunities. His charm and form were lost after he joined RR, but coming back to his home team, he really has a chance to unleash his potential in the IPL Stage. 
<h3>THREATS for RCB Squad</h3>
Threats for the Challengers squad are mainly not having proper backups. Their spin looks fragile, and a bad day of fast bowlers can ruin the game for them. They have enough options for bowling in the death, and bowling at the top, but concerns may arise in the middle order. 
ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/hardik-pandya-destroys-new-csk-bowler-slams-4-continuous-sixes-scores-an-excellent-fifty/">Hardik Pandya destroys new CSK bowler, slams 4 continuous sixes, scores an excellent fifty</a>
SOURCE- <a href="https://www.royalchallengers.com/">RCB OFFICIAL</a>

Most cricket pundits might not have liked the RCB's work at the auction table, but they are still strong and can turn the table anytime and against anyone in the league. Here is the SWOT analysis and review of the RCB squad for IPL 2025.

IPL 2025: RCB Squad after Auction, Players, Prices and Full SWOT Analysis

ipl-2025-rcb-squad-after-auction-players-prices-and-full-swot-analysis

The IPL 2025 auction is seemingly getting exciting as the franchises slowly lose their huge purse amounts, especially with Punjab Kings reduced to less than INR 50 crores despite them entering the auction with a huge purse of INR 110.5 crores. Having made some crazy deals over the likes of captain Shreyas Iyer and iconic batsman <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rishabh_Pant">Rishabh Pant</a>, who surpassed his fellow mate further to be IPL?s highest-ever bid player with INR 27 crore.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Let?s take a look at the auction purses left after the end of the 2nd set of Marquee Players with 12 players bought.</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Delhi Capitals: INR 47.25 crore</h3>



They have roped in two invaluable players, KL Rahul and Mitchell Starc, for much less money.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Chennai Super Kings: INR 55 crores</h3>



Chennai Super Kings successfully tried on several players but still await their first inclusion.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Rajasthan Royals: INR 41 crore</h3>



Rajasthan Royals have also tried their luck hard, though nothing went in their favor as they, despite trying, could not acquire any players.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Royal Challengers Bangalore: INR 74.25 crore</h3>



RCB have also made some good attempts, though only ending up with Liam Livingstone for 8.75 crores.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Kolkata Knight Riders: INR 51 crore</h3>



KKR, the defending champions, are trying harder but still looking for their first player addition.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Lucknow Super Giants: INR 34.50 crores</h3>



The Super Giants have the most unique auction, having made the highest bid of Rishabh Pant and then followed by dynamic middle-order finisher David Miller.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Sunrisers Hyderabad: INR 35 crores</h3>



The SRH have now roped in Mohammed Shami as their only inclusion to their pace bowling deck as of yet.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Mumbai Indians: INR 45 crores</h3>



The Indians, in the quest for many players, have not bid eagerly for any except for Jos Buttler and Mitchell Starc, though withdrawing very early.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Gujarat Titans: INR 30.25 crore</h3>



The Titans can be arguably said to have the best auction day till now with the likes of Mohammad Siraj, Jos Buttler, and finally Kagiso Rabada, the best three inclusions possible for them.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Punjab Kings: INR 47.75 crore</h3>



The people with the highest purse have spent a significant amount of money to acquire the likes of Arshdeep Singh for a huge INR 18 crore, while next getting Yuzi Chahal for another 18 crore and skipper Iyer for a record-breaking INR 26.75 crore.



ALSO READ:<a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/indias-yashasvi-jaiswal-creates-history-becomes-the-batsman-to-hit-the-highest-number-of-sixes-in-a-calendar-year-of-test-cricket-ind-vs-aus/"> India?s Yashasvi Jaiswal creates history, becomes the batsman to hit the highest number of sixes in a calendar year of Test Cricket | IND vs AUS</a>

IPL 2025 Auction Updates: Every Franchise Purse Left After the Completion of the Marquee Set 2

ipl-2025-auction-updates-every-franchise-purse-left-after-the-completion-of-the-marquee-set-2

Pacers are having a day out here at Jeddah on the second day of the much anticipated IPL auction, as after several among batters and all-rounders went unsold, the pacers are making the banks of the franchises shaken up. First of all, Marco Jansen, the lanky pace bowling all-rounder from the Proteas, goes for the biggest bid of the day from the first session, with the Punjab Kings showing immense interest in the left-arm seamer.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter">
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">https://twitter.com/mufaddal_vohra/status/1860991686236647806</div>
</figure>



 Followed by a short break, the teams now seemed too determined, with the likes of Rajasthan Royals, Gujarat Titans, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, and RCB all looking forward to decking up their pace bowling set. India?s one of the most anticipated pacers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, also the greatest ever Indian in the history of the IPL, gets rewarded for his consistency, as RCB bring him in for a whopping INR 10.75 crore, the only double-digit bid for the day.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter">
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">https://twitter.com/mufaddal_vohra/status/1861003917598883891</div>
</figure>



 While Indian pacers other than Bhuvi, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deepak_Chahar">Deepak Chahar</a> earns a huge bid going to the arch-rivals MI from the Men in Yellow. While followed by him are Tushar Deshpande to the Rajasthan Royals, while Mukesh Kumar was retained by the Capitals using the RTM.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter">
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">https://twitter.com/CricCrazyJohns/status/1861003858396451129</div>
</figure>



Coetzee is the only overseas bowler now going to the Gujarat Titans pace deck alongside national mate Kagiso Rabada, pairing for a breathtaking pace bowling duo.



Akash Deep gets a new franchise in the Lucknow Super Giants, who have their first player of the day and quite intriguing a futuristic option seemingly for the Super Giants.



Lockie Ferguson off at base price to the Punjab Kings.



ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/live-ipl-auction-2025-live-updates-day-2-latest-news-and-more-on-auction/">[LIVE] IPL Auction 2025 Live Updates DAY 2, Latest News and More on Auction</a>

The IPL Auction  Day 2 sees its first major jump; A pacers day out Bhuvneshwar Kumar sold for INR 10.75 Crores to RCB

the-ipl-auction-day-2-sees-its-first-major-jump-a-pacers-day-out-bhuvneshwar-kumar-sold-for-inr-10-75-crores-to-rcb

The IPL 2025 mega-auctions are knocking at the doorstep, and every team management is gearing alongside their coaches, mentors, and skippers. Every possible team has looked to retain their core team, though some teams have made some startling retentions, leaving out several crucial players. After the retentions were announced at the end of last month,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Challengers_Bangalore"> Royal Challengers Bangalore</a> and Punjab Kings retained the least number of players. RCB only retained the likes of their veteran batters Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, and Yash Dayal, the two promising youngsters. While PBKS retained only two of their vital uncapped players, Prabhsimran Singh and Shashank Singh, these two teams will be left with the highest purse amount in the history of the IPL. RCB have INR 83 crores, while PBKS entered the mega-auction with a record INR 110.5 crores in their bag. 



<div class="wp-block-rank-math-toc-block" id="rank-math-toc"><nav><ul><li class=""><a href="#5-players-who-can-instill-a-bidding-war-between-rcb-and-pbks">5 players who can instill a bidding war between RCB and PBKS:</a><ul><li class=""><a href="#liam-livingstone">Liam Livingstone</a></li><li class=""><a href="#kagiso-rabada">Kagiso Rabada</a></li><li class=""><a href="#yuzvendra-chahal">Yuzvendra Chahal</a></li><li class=""><a href="#rishabh-pant">Rishabh Pant</a></li><li class=""><a href="#faf-du-plessis">Faf du Plessis</a></li></ul></li></ul></nav></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="5-players-who-can-instill-a-bidding-war-between-rcb-and-pbks">5 players who can instill a bidding war between RCB and PBKS:</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="liam-livingstone">Liam Livingstone</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2024/11/Liam-Livingstone-PBKS-New-1024x576.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-149652" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Liam Livingstone - The dynamic all-rounder for Punjab Kings (Image Credit: Times of India)</figcaption></figure>



The English all-rounder has had a dream form since his return to the English side following the T20 World Cup. Livingstone has been equally effective with the bat and ball, though he has recently been replaced as the ICC's No. 1 T20I all-rounder. Livingstone might be one of the RTM options in head for the Punjab Kings, while RCB will also look to acquire his services in order to reinstall their side for the IPL. 



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="kagiso-rabada">Kagiso Rabada</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2024/11/Kagiso-Rabada-IPL.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-149653" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Rabada in the IPL mega-auction (Image Credit: X.com)</figcaption></figure>



Rabada, the most veteran overseas bowler in the recent few years in the IPL, has been an ever-effective pace option for the teams; hence, he might be the second RTM option considered by the Punjab Kings. However, other than the Kings and RCB, even the likes of several other franchises like CSK and LSG, who are in the quest for an experienced pacer, would look to target the Protea legend. 



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="yuzvendra-chahal">Yuzvendra Chahal</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2024/11/Yuzi-Chahal-IPL-1.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-149654" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Chahal - The highest wicket getter in IPL (Image Credit: NDTV Sports)</figcaption></figure>



The Royals released their spin option while also not having much of a retention option left with them; hence, Chahal might be travelling to some other part of India. Chahal?s spin capacity turned him into the highest wicket-taker in the format and the tournament, which might find him travelling back to the Chinnaswamy or to the hills in Dharamshala or Mohali. 



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="rishabh-pant">Rishabh Pant</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2024/11/Pant-IPL.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-149657" style="width:688px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Pant in the IPL mega-auction for the first time (Image Credit: X.com) </figcaption></figure>



Pant has been anticipated by many, like Irfan Pathan and Suresh Raina, to be the IPL 2025 mega-auction?s highest-bid player. Some have also predicted that he might break Starc's record for the highest bid amount in the mega-auction. Pant might be backed only by the two biggest IPL franchises, who have the secured purse amount required for acquiring a high-stakes player like Pant. 



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="faf-du-plessis">Faf du Plessis</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2024/11/faf-from-RCB-1024x538.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-149658" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Faf Du Plessis won the CPL trophy as a skipper in 2024 (Image Credit: NDTV Sports) </figcaption></figure>



Faf was not retained by the Royal Challengers, maybe because he could be received for a lower amount than the retention slab. Hence he might be said to be RCB?s prime target in the form of an RTM. Du Plessis recently led the St. Lucia Kings in the CPL, a daughter franchise of the Kings, and since then he might highly be in demand in the IPL as well, especially with a new mentor and hopes of lifting the title for the first time in the IPL.



ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/border-gavaskar-trophy-2024-when-and-where-to-watch-the-series-in-india/">Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024: When and Where to watch the series in India? </a>

5 players who can stir up a bidding contest between RCB and PBKS; two teams with the highest purse in the IPL 2025 mega-auction|||||||

5 players who can stir up a bidding contest between RCB and PBKS; two teams with the highest purse in the IPL 2025 mega-auction

5-players-who-can-stir-up-a-bidding-contest-between-rcb-and-pbks-two-teams-with-the-highest-purse-in-the-ipl-2025-mega-auction

The Royal Challengers Bangalore are a franchise cricket team based in Bangalore, Karnataka, that plays in the Indian Premier League. It was founded in 2008 by United Spirits and named after the company's liquor brand Royal Challenge

Royal Challengers Bangalore

India batter Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are all set to play the three-match ODI series against England. As per the reports in Times of India, it is learned that both the senior batters of the team will be playing the series and have no intention to take a rest. 
A few days ago, some reports claimed that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli won't be playing the three-match ODI series against England. The duo were speculated to be rested to manage their workload, especially after the hectic Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. 
But it raised many eyeballs as to why Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be rested, especially with the three-match ODI series against England being the only series ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The ICC event will be taking place in February-March and it will be a crucial tournament for India. 
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have come under massive pump for their poor returns with the bat. And also with them already announcing their retirement from T20Is, the ODIs against England and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will be extremely important for both the stalwarts. 
The ODI series between England and India will get underway from 6th February at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur. The second game of the series is scheduled to take place on 9th February in Cuttack, followed by the last match to be played on 12th at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. 
<h2>Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli last played a white-ball game during the ODI series against Sri Lanka</h2>
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli last played a white-ball game during the ODI series against Sri Lanka. The two players will have to play a massive part if India needs to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The Rohit Sharma-led side will be playing their games in Dubai as the tournament will be played in a Hybrid model. 
Currently, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are playing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Australia. Both the players have struggled to get going. The skipper, in particular, has looked torrid and is all set to be dropped from the team for the last match of the series. 
Virat Kohli, on the other hand, slammed a century in the opening match of the series. But after that, has looked torrid with the bat. It remains to be seen how he will fare in the last game of the series.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/gambhir-vs-agarkar-selection-committee-declined-head-coach-s-request-of-cheteshwar-pujara-s-inclusion-for-bgt-2024-25-reports/">Gambhir vs Agarkar? Selection Committee declined Head Coach's request of Cheteshwar Pujara's inclusion for BGT 2024-25: Reports</a>

India batter Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are all set to play the three-match ODI series against England.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma all set to be part of England ODIs

virat-kohli-and-rohit-sharma-all-set-to-be-part-of-england-odis-

With the 2025 New Year celebrations over, the Indian Cricket Team have now begun their preparations for the next BGT match. Under the leadership of Jasprit Bumrah, the Men in Blue will be playing their first Test contest of 2025 in Sydney. This match will be played versus the the Pat Cummins-led Australia from the 3rd of January. 
The Indian Team is currently taking part in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy Five-Match Test-Series on Australian soil. The home side currently have the advantage as they are leading the series by 2-1. The fifth and the decisive contest of the series will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). The Jasprit Bumrah-led team will be looking to secure a victory by any means in the final encounter in order to retain the precious BGT Trophy. 
<h2>Change in captaincy ahead of the Sydney Test-Match</h2>
Regular Captain Rohit Sharma has decided to drop himself from the final Test-Match as his performance in the entire series has been disastrous, managing to score just 31 runs in five innings versus the Kangaroos. 
A lot of pressure was being created on Rohit and the Men in Blue even won the Perth Test-Match under the captaincy of Bumrah where Sharma was not available as he was away on paternity leave and therefore, the two time WTC Runner's-up will be seen entering the field of Sydney with Jasprit Bumrah as the captain.
<h2>What's the record of Team India in Test-Matches played in Sydney? </h2>
The Indian Cricket Team have a really poor record in Test-Matches played in Sydney. They have managed to reign supreme just once at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), that too 47 years ago.That means if the Blue Brigade manage to secure a victory in the final Test-Match in Sydney, then their shameful winless streak will get broken. 
The Men in Blue have taken part in 13 Sydney Test-Matches so far, managing to win just one and have suffered defeats in five contests. The other remaining matches at this venue between Australia and India have ended in a draw i.e seven draws. 
India won their only Sydney Test-Match way back in January of 1978, where they triumphed over the Kangaroos by a margin of an inning and two runs under the leadership of the legendary Bishan Singh Bedi. This was time when Test Matches used to be of 6 days and there used to be a rest day in between.
Total Tests played in Sydney: 13
Won: 1
Lost: 5
Drawn: 7 
The upcoming 5th Test-Match in Sydney will be must win one for the Jasprit Bumrah-led team if they want to have any hopes of retaining the BGT Trophy. Winning the match in Sydney will also allow them to keep their hopes of qualifying for their third successive WTC Final alive. 
<h2>Playing 11's of both teams for the 5th Test-Match in Sydney</h2>
India (Probable): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (WK), Virat Kohli, Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah (Captain) and Harshit Rana.
Australia: Usman Khawaja, Travis Head, Sam Konstas, Beau Webster, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Pat Cummins (Captain), Nathan Lyon, Alex Carey (WK), Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland.
Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/gambhir-vs-agarkar-selection-committee-declined-head-coach-s-request-of-cheteshwar-pujara-s-inclusion-for-bgt-2024-25-reports/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gambhir vs Agarkar? Selection Committee declined Head Coach's request of Cheteshwar Pujara's inclusion for BGT 2024-25: Reports</a>

Jasprit Bumrah of India celebrates the wicket of Australia's Usman Khawaja | Image: Getty Images

The Indian Cricket Team have a shameful record in Test-Matches played in Sydney and they haven't won a single match at that venue since 1978. They would be looking to end this winless streak and rewrite history

IND vs AUS: Team India has a shameful record in Sydney, will the winless streak break in the 5th Test?

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India Cricket Team is all set to have massive changes going into the last match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The Showdown will be taking place at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, and it surely will be more than just a match for the visitors. 
As per the reports in Indian Express, it is learned that Rohit Sharma is all set to be rested for the final game of the series. The Indian captain has himself opted out of the Sydney Test and conveyed the same to head coach Gautam Gambhir and the chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar. 
Both Agarkar and Gambhir accepted Rohit Sharma's decision and the team will be playing the game without their captain. In his absence, Jasprit Bumrah will be captaining the team and Shubman Gill will be replacing Rohit in the XI and will be batting at No.3 in the last game of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. 
Rohit Sharma opting out of the Sydney Test means that the India captain has played his last game in whites. The reports claimed that he might not be in the scheme of things for the next World Test Championship Cycle, which begins with a tour to England in June-July this year. 
Jasprit Bumrah captained the Indian team in the opening game of the series in Perth and under his leadership team won the match. The reports claimed that Shubman Gill will be batting at No.3 and KL Rahul will open the innings alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal. 
<h2> Prasidh Krishna will be drafted into the XI in place of Akash Deep</h2>
The reports also added that Prasidh Krishna will be drafted into the XI in place of Akash Deep. The latter got injured in the practice session and has been ruled out of the match. It will be a massive opportunity for Krishna to make an impact and help the team draw the series and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. 
Also, there were reports which stated that Rishabh Pant will be dropped for Dhruv Jurel but Indian Express has confirmed that the Southpaw will be playing the match. He faced a lot of criticism getting out to wild shots in the last two games and would be hoping to silence all his critics.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/india-s-record-at-sydney-cricket-ground-before-the-ind-vs-aus-5th-test/">India's Record at Sydney Cricket Ground Before the IND vs AUS 5th Test</a>

India Cricket Team is all set to have massive changes going into the last match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.

IND vs AUS: Rohit Sharma opts out of Sydney Test, massive updates about Indian XI arrive

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IND vs AUS: The stage is set, and Team India will square off against Australia for the final time in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The hosts started the series brilliantly with a win over Australia in Perth. But that has been the only good performance for India so far.
After that the visitors are only chasing the momentum while Australia have been very dominant in their performances. Their relentless bowling attack with some game-changing contributions from the batters has helped them to take a 2-1 lead. For India, Jasprit Bumrah has been the shining light throughout the series, who has been the lone survivor for India.
The final test will kick off at 5 AM on Friday at the Sydney Cricket Stadium. India might be bringing in Shubman Gill and Prasidh Krishna in for Rohit Sharma and Akashdeep, and it will be Bumrah who will lead the team. He will also have some big records in front of him to achieve in the fifth and final test at the SCG.
<h2>IND vs AUS: Jasprit Bumrah eyes an all-time BGT record in the fifth and final test at SCG</h2>
Jasprit Bumrah has been superb in this series so far. He has taken a total of 30 wickets in four tests at an average of 12.83 and a strike rate of 28.26. He has taken three fifers and two four-wicket hauls. Meanwhile, the second highest wicket-taker in the series is Pat Cummins with 20 wickets. That tells the difference between Bmrah and the rest of the bowlers.
He has been phenomenal this series. But it is not over yet. The ace Indian pacer will have a couple of big records in front of him to achieve. One of them will be the record for most wickets in a Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Currently, former off-spinner Harbhajan Singh holds this record. He took 30 wickets in three tests during BGT 2000-01.
Bumrah is the only second bowler to take 30 wickets in a BGT trophy in history. He is just three wickets away from breaking Harbhajan's record and adding another milestone to his kitty. Apart from this, Bumrah is also near to breaking the 52-year-old record by Bhagwath Chandrasekhar, who took 35 wickets in a test series against England in 1972-73.
That tally of 35 wickets is the most wickets by an Indian bowler in a test series. Bumrah need six more wickets, and the way he is going, it looks possible that he might break this record as well. Notably, India need this win to retain the BGT trophy and also stay alive in the WTC final race.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/3-player-battles-to-watch-out-for-in-the-fifth-ind-vs-aus-test-at-the-scg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3 Player Battles to Watch out for in the fifth IND vs AUS Test at the SCG</a>

Jasprit Bumrah has taken 30 wickets in the four tests at a record-breaking average of 12.83. He is the leading wicket-taker in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.

Jasprit Bumrah on the cusp of rewriting history; eyes two all-time bowling records in the final test at SCG

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IND vs AUS: The fifth and final test between India and Australia will begin at 5 AM on January 3. This will be the last chance for Team India to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and stay in the race for the World Test Championship final. If they lose, they will lose both these great things. Australia are currently trailing 2-1 in the series and will enter the final test as favorites.
India need to find out ways to get runs from their batters and also support Jasprit Bumrah with other bowlers. We might see some changes in the playing XI for the final test. But all in all, it is expected to be a great battle between two powerhouses. Here we will talk about the top three player battles to watch out for in the fifth IND vs AUS test.
<h2>Three Top Player Battlers to watch out for in Fifth IND vs AUS test at SCG</h2>
1. Yashavi Jaiswal vs Mitchell Starc
Indian young opener Yashavi Jaiswal is the leading scorer for India in the ongoing IND vs AUS test series. He has scored 359 runs in four tests at an average of 51.29. Jasiwal scored 82 and 84 in two innings of the fourth test. India will hope he continues his form and scores runs.
If he gets set, he plays big innings; that's where Australia will rely on Mitchell Starc. This has been an exciting battle to watch so far in four tests. Jaiswal loves to take on Starc, and the pacer has had his number a few times. Starc has dismissed Jaiswal four times in tests this year, and Jaiswal scored 107 runs against him.
2. Rohit Sharma &amp; Virat Kohli vs Pat Cummins
The Australian captain, Pat Cummins, is one of the best modern-day bowlers for sure. He is just ahead of the opposition batter and loves to dominate. He played a crucial role in Australia winning the MCG test and won the Player of the Match award.
Meanwhile, for India, runs from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, as these two have struggled badly. There are questions on their position in the team, and they have this last chance. But Cummins will not make it easy for them. The Australian captain has troubled these two stars many times. Cummins has dismissed Rohit 8 times in tests and dismissed Virat 5 times.
3. Travis Head &amp; Steve Smith vs Jasprit Bumrah
India were able to contain Travis Head in the fourth test, but Steve Smith slammed a brilliant ton. These two have scored two centuries each in the IND vs AUS test and have become a big headache for India. Hence, the visitors will look to go with the plan against them.
That's where Jasprit Bumrah will have a vital role. Bumrah has enjoyed bowling against the best, and these two certainly are. Bumrah has dismissed Head six times in tests, including four in 2024, while Bumrah has dismissed Smith four times in tests, including three times in 2024.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/gambhir-vs-agarkar-selection-committee-declined-head-coach-s-request-of-cheteshwar-pujara-s-inclusion-for-bgt-2024-25-reports/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gambhir vs Agarkar? Selection Committee declined Head Coach's request of Cheteshwar Pujara's inclusion for BGT 2024-25: Reports</a>

Australia are leading the ongoing IND vs AUS test series 2-1. The fifth and final test will begin at 5 AM on Friday at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

3 Player Battles to Watch out for in the fifth IND vs AUS Test at the SCG

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India captain Rohit Sharma is all set to be dropped from the playing XI for the final Test of the series against Australia. The match between the two teams will be played on Friday (3rd January) at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney. 
Rohit Sharma, as per the various media reports, won't be featuring in the final match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. This has been quite evident with the way things have been panning out in the practice session a day ahead of the match at the Sydney Cricket Ground. 
India captain also didn't bat much in the nets and came to bat after batters had their sessions. Various media outlets have suggested that Rohit Sharma will be replaced by Shubman Gill, who got the first preference in the nets and was also seen getting a pat on the back by Gautam Gambhir. 
The India head coach, Gautam Gambhir, was also seen having a conversation with Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah, with the fast bowler being actively involved in the conversations with the head coach. This, in all fairness, suggests that fast bowlers will be leading the team. 
But there also has been some section of reports which has stated that Shubman Gill might be leading the team. This is because team management might look at the bigger picture and allow the youngster to take charge of the team. But so far no clarity seems to be there.
<h2>We are going to have a look at the wicket and finalise it tomorrow - Gautam Gambhir on Rohit Sharma </h2>
Even head coach Gautam Gambhir said refused to give any clarity about Rohit Sharma playing the final Test. He said that they would be taking the call after looking at the pitch. While speaking to reporters, he explained: 
"Everything is fine with Rohit and I don't think it's anything traditional. The head coach is here and that should be good enough. We are going to have a look at the wicket and finalise it tomorrow. As I just said we are going to have a look at the wicket and announce our playing XI tomorrow. The answer remains the same.” 
Rohit Sharma has witnessed a massive dip in the form. In the last 15 innings, the India captain has scored only 164 runs in 15 innings at a shocking average of just 10.93, with one half-century score. In the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, he has slammed just 31 runs. It remains to be seen now where will his future be heading.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/india-s-record-at-sydney-cricket-ground-before-the-ind-vs-aus-5th-test/">India's Record at Sydney Cricket Ground Before the IND vs AUS 5th Test</a>

India captain Rohit Sharma is all set to be dropped from the playing XI for the final Test of the series against Australia.

IND vs AUS: Rohit Sharma all set to be dropped for last Test; Shubman Gill to lead? Full details

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The Indian Men's National Cricket Team is set to suffer a major setback as it prepares to take on Fierce-Rivals Australia in the 5th &amp; final Test-Match of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. Fresh Reports are emerging that the Men in Blue may lose the services of fast bowler Akash Deep for the crucial Do-or-Die Sydney Test-Match. There are also reports that have emerged recently which have suggested that the Indian team management are considering the place of wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant in the team. 
28-year-old Akash Deep has been dealt a major setback with a possible back injury. According to the news report of the Indian Express, the players is suffering a lot of pain in his back and will most likely miss out on selection from the Sydney Test-Match. On the other hand, some news reports suggest that the Team management is considering replacing Pant with Dhruv Jurel in Sydney. 
The absence of both players at such a crucial time is surely going to prove to be a major setback for the Indian team. Akash is a player who has performed well with both ball &amp; bat and this was pretty evident in the Melbourne Test-Match, where he saved the Rohit Sharma-led outfit from the follow-on threat by getting involved in a crucial 47 run partnership for the final wicket with fellow pacer Jasprit Bumrah.
<h2>Who will be the replacement of Akash Deep? </h2>
The injury to the 28-year-old seamer has halted the Rohit Sharma-led outfit's preparations for the 5th Test-Match in Sydney. The two time WTC Runner's-up now will be forced to rethink and rework their strategies and they also have to take care of vice captain Jasprit Bumrah's workload. 
With Akash Deep likely to sit out of the 5th Test-Match, Harshit Rana is likely to be given yet another opportunity to prove himself in Sydney and he will be looking to perform at his best and help the Indian Team retain the precious BGT Trophy. 
The Indian Think Tank might also consider the possibility of bringing in Prasidh Krishna into the playing 11 in place of Jadeja Or Sundar, but since the surface of the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) is known to provide assistance to the spin bowlers, the Men in Blue will likely go ahead with two spinners. Also Jadeja and Sundar are handy batters so the Indian think tank might no want to hamper their batting at the expense of bringing in an extra bowler.
Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/5-reasons-why-team-india-lost-the-melbourne-test-match-versus-australia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">5 Reasons why Team India lost the Melbourne Test match versus Australia</a>

Akash Deep of India caused a lot of problems for Steve Smith and Travis Head of Australia in the Gabba Test-Match | Image: Getty Images

Team India have been handed a major setback as Akash Deep is suffering back pain issues is likely to miss the 5th Test-Match in Sydney.

India's Akash Deep set to miss the 5th Test Match in Sydney, suffers am injury setback

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The 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series is currently going on in Australia between the Mighty Aussies and Team India. The series was tied at 1-1 after the two Fierce-Rivals played out a dramatic 3rd Test-Match in Brisbane but the hosts fought back in excellent fashion, securing a hard-fought victory by 184 runs in the Boxing-Day Test-Match in Melbourne and took a 2-1 lead. 
Except the Test-Match in Perth, Virat Kohli hasn't created any kind of impact with the bat and Rohit on the other hand, has looked completely out of touch since returning in the Adelaide Test-Match. Moreover, all of their shot choices have proven to be poor and mediocre. Even in the Melbourne Boxing-Day Test-Match, both players got punished after playing mediocre shots. 
<h2>Gambhir will have the final say in terms of deciding the Playing 11:</h2>
It has been reported that the Indian Team selectors and the chairman of the selection committee Ajit Agarkar have given Gambhir the full authority to select the Starting 11 for the Must-win Sydney Test-Match. 
Since the Sydney Test-Match is going to be a do-or-die one for the Rohit Sharma-led team, it's being said that the out-of-form players will most likely get dropped and the in-form players will be given the opportunity to prove themselves. There is a high possibility that the duo of Kohli &amp; Rohit might get dropped for the Sydney Test. 
During the net practice session, if both the experienced players perform in a satisfactory manner, only then they will be included in the Starting 11.The places of other players will also be decided through the net-practice sessions. 
Therefore, there are high chances of Dhruv Jurel getting a chance to play in the final Test-Match and the return of Shubman Gill is also going to be imminent. Mostly, he will replace the Indian captain Rohit Sharma in the playing 11.Also, there are chances that Nitish Kumar Reddy might get a chance to bat up the order. 
<h2>The Bowling-Attack is likely to see some changes</h2>
Except Jasprit Bumrah, the rest of the Indian bowlers have failed to live upto expectations and this over reliance on the Indian Vice-Captain is proving to be a big problem for the Men in Blue. Bumrah needs to get some support from his fellow bowlers and since he's not getting it, some hard changes are expected to be made. 
Siraj may have dismissed 16 batters in the ongoing BGT series but he has not looked at his best in the first four encounters versus the Aussies and this may be a good time to give some rest to the 30-year-old and bring in Prasidh Krishna. 
The 28-year-old seamer is someone who knows how to use the bouncer well and his deadly bouncers on the pitch of Sydney can prove to be a nightmare for the Australian batters. 
Talking about Akash Deep, he hasn't proven to be effective at all with the ball and while he may have scored some crucial runs as a tailender, they may not be enough to save him from getting dropped. Harshit Rana who took a four wicket haul in the Perth Test-Match is likely to replace Akash Deep in the Starting 11 for the Sydney Test. 
While the former wasn't effective in Adelaide, he can prove his doubters wrong by giving his best in the Sydney Test-Match. 
India's Strongest Playing XI (5th Test) - KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nitish Reddy, Shubman Gill, Dhruv Jurel, Rishabh Pant (WK), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Prasidh Krishna, Jasprit Bumrah (captain) &amp; Harshit Rana.
Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/jasprit-bumrah-crushes-ravichandran-ashwin-to-become-the-first-india-bowler-to-/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jasprit Bumrah crushes Ravichandran Ashwin to become the first India bowler to...</a>

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma of India | Image: Associated Press

The Sydney Test-Match is going to be a must win for the Indian Cricket Team and some harsh decisions will have to be taken in regards to playing 11 if the Rohit Sharma-led want to have any chance of retaining the BGT Trophy

IND vs AUS 5th Test: Team India's Strongest Playing 11 for the Perth Test Match

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Things are not at all going right for the Indian team currently at the moment in Test cricket. Amid all this, a fresh set of reports has emerged in the media, which has suggested that Virat Kohli might be back at the helm of things as a leader in Test cricket. 
Virat Kohli, who is the most successful Test captain of India, has expressed his desire to take over the Test captaincy of India. As per the reports in RevSportz, it is learned that the senior batter wants to continue playing till 2027 as he wants to give his best for the team and help them. 
There were reports in Indian Express, which claimed that one senior batter in the team, ahead of the series, had made his thought that he would be eyeing the captaincy and had mentioned at the start that he would be doing something special in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. 
Virat Kohli, who is expected to be that senior player, feels that he can help the team in the transition phase. He has touted himself as the ‘Mr Fix-It’, and he believes that no youngster so far is ready to take the charge and wants to take over the captaincy on an interim basis. 
<h2>Virat Kohli expressing his desire to take over the leadership role means that Rohit Sharma's tenure as the captain of the team is all set to end</h2>
Virat Kohli expressing his desire to take over the leadership role means that Rohit Sharma's tenure as the captain of the team is all set to end. The skipper of the team has come under massive scrutiny following his poor efforts in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. 
His poor performances with the bat, too, haven't helped his cause, as the captain has scored around 30 runs in the series. There have been several reports that have stated that Rohit Sharma might announce his retirement after the Sydney Test, which will be the last game of the series. 
Things are also not going right in the Indian dressing room. It is learned that senior players of the team aren't on the same page with Gautam Gambhir, and the head coach, too, hasn't been amazed by the way the players have played in the series so far. 
The Sydney Test will be a great opportunity for the entire team to reply to all the criticism. The match will be played from 3rd January and winning there will help the Rohit Sharma-led side to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. 
Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/jasprit-bumrah-crushes-ravichandran-ashwin-to-become-the-first-india-bowler-to-/">Jasprit Bumrah crushes Ravichandran Ashwin to become the first India bowler to...</a>

Virat Kohli, who is the most successful Test captain of India, has expressed his desire to take over the Test captaincy of India

Virat Kohli wants India Test captaincy again, as he doesn't trust...

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India head coach Gautam Gambhir has come under massive scanner for his poor performances as the coach of the Indian team. But things are turning worse for him because of the team's disappointing effort in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. 
Gautam Gambhir has come under massive scrutiny as the things in the Indian dressing room are great. As per the reports in PTI, it is learned that the senior players of the team and the head coach are not on the same page related to the decisions in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. 
The reports added that some of the players of the team haven't shown their confidence in Gautam Gambhir. This is because of his experiments of playing 11 and the way he handled Shubman Gill, who was dropped from the team for the fourth Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. 
Some of the senior players are not feeling good with Gautam Gambhir. This is because they believe that communication isn't as good as it used to be during the time of Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid. This has come under the notice of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). 
<h2>If the performance doesn't improve, even Gautam Gambhir's position wouldn't be safe - BCCI source</h2>
The BCCI source said that Gautam Gambhir's position as a head coach isn't safe. He said that if results don't come good in the last match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 along with ICC Champions Trophy 2025 then he is likely to be sacked. Speaking to PTI, he said: 
"There is a Test match to be played and then there is Champions Trophy. If the performance doesn't improve, even Gautam Gambhir's position wouldn't be safe." 
The source, while calling Gautam Gambhir a "compromise", said that he wasn't even first choice for the role. He mentioned that VVS Laxman and other foreign coaches didn't want to take the role and hence he was given the opportunity. He added: 
"He was never BCCI's first choice (it was VVS Laxman) and some of the well-known overseas names didn't want to coach all three formats, so he was a compromise. Some other compulsions were also there." 
It remains to be seen how Gautam Gambhir bounces back from this situation. The India team will be next seen in action on 3rd January when they will be playing the next match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/-for-all-the-ups-downs-rohit-sharma-bids-adieu-to-/">"For all the ups &amp; downs" - Rohit Sharma bids adieu to.....</a>

India head coach Gautam Gambhir has come under massive scanner for his poor performances as the coach of the Indian team.