Not Md Shami ! Shikhar Dhawan Backs This Pacer To Be Indias X-Issue In Champions Trophy 2025 In Absence Of Jasprit Bumrah

The Rohit Sharma-led India will begin their Champions Trophy 2025 marketing campaign towards  Bangladesh on Thursday, February 20 on the Dubai Worldwide Cricket Stadium in Dubai. 

Forward of the beginning of the Champions Trophy, India have already suffered a large blow as tempo spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was dominated out of the match because of a decrease again harm.

Former opener Shikhar Dhawan feels that India will really feel Bumrah’s absence “very strongly” within the Champions Trophy however they nonetheless have an amazing likelihood to win the match.

“My concern is they’re going to miss Jasprit Bumrah, there isn’t a doubt he will likely be a giant absence and I feel they may really feel it very strongly,” Dhawan wrote in an ICC column printed on Tuesday.

“For me, he’s the perfect bowler on the planet, and his accuracy is tough to copy. He’s additionally a really calm character and that’s essential in an enormous ICC occasion like this,” he added. 

Nevertheless, Dhawan has backed younger Harshit Rana to turn out to be India’s X-factor within the match.

“On the identical time, Harshit Rana has come into the aspect and I feel that’s actually thrilling – keep watch over him, I feel he may have a breakout match,” he mentioned. 

“I like his perspective, he’s a go-getter and he’s not afraid of something. He accepts challenges and we now have seen within the England sequence that he’s in type. I’m certain he’ll look to grab this chance and, if he does, he may present an actual X-factor for India,” he added. 

The 39-year-old highlighted components which make India a title contender on the upcoming Champions Trophy. 

“There are a whole lot of causes to be optimistic for India. They’ve a really balanced aspect, particularly with the bat – there’s a good mix of expertise and youth. Shubman Gill, specifically, is so constant and he has a giant function to play. I feel he may have an amazing match,” mentioned Dhawan. 

“Rohit Sharma has discovered type, and Virat Kohli is there; they’re a prime aspect and can take some stopping,” he added. 

The previous India cricketer additionally did not rule out groups corresponding to South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and hosts Pakistan, to whom India misplaced within the title conflict within the final version within the UK.

“I actually like South Africa on this match as effectively. They’ve performed constant cricket and have the whole lot it’s good to win such an enormous match – expertise, strength-in-depth and X-factor gamers like Kagiso Rabada,” mentioned Dhawan. 

“I additionally like Pakistan, they are going to be laborious to beat in dwelling circumstances, and likewise New Zealand – who’re simply at all times there or there abouts. Australia have struggled of their sequence with Sri Lanka however they’ve some nice batters; Travis Head is in nice type, and I am actually excited to see Steve Smith,” he added. 

Notably, Dhawan is without doubt one of the most profitable batters within the ICC Champions Trophy historical past having scored 701 runs in 10 innings at a median of 77.88. He hit three centuries within the match, along with his finest being 125 towards Sri Lanka in 2017.

“The ICC Champions Trophy means an amazing deal to me. We received in 2013 after which reached the ultimate in 2017, and each instances I completed as main run-scorer,” he mentioned.