Rohit Sharma to Lead India in ICC Champions Trophy and WTC Final 2025

Jay Shah, Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), confirmed on Sunday that Rohit Sharma will continue as captain for India in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy and the World Test Championship (WTC) final, both scheduled for 2025.

This announcement follows Rohit Sharma's successful leadership in guiding India to a historic victory in the T20 World Cup final against South Africa in Barbados.

Reflecting on Rohit's captaincy journey, Shah expressed satisfaction with his decision to back Rohit after India's loss in the ODI World Cup final last November, foreseeing a turnaround with a T20 World Cup triumph. Shah expressed confidence that under Rohit's leadership, India will achieve further success in the upcoming ICC events.

"After winning hearts on November 23 with 10 consecutive victories, we set our eyes on winning the Cup. In Rajkot, I predicted that on June 29, we would not only win hearts but also lift the flag in Barbados, and our captain did just that," Shah remarked.

Shah also hinted at India's strategy of split captaincy, with Rohit Sharma leading the Test and ODI sides, and Hardik Pandya likely to take over T20I duties following Rohit's retirement from the format last year.

The ICC Champions Trophy, set to be hosted in Pakistan next year, marks the return of international cricket after an eight-year hiatus. The draft schedule includes a potential match between India and Pakistan in Karachi, pending final approval from the BCCI, which may push for adaptations similar to the hybrid model used during the Asia Cup.

Shah dedicated India's recent T20 World Cup victory to outgoing coach Rahul Dravid and the three players who announced their retirement from the format post the tournament—Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja. These players are expected to return for India's upcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka in August, which includes three matches away and three at home against England in early February, leading up to the Champions Trophy.

The BCCI continues to prepare for these upcoming events with optimism, aiming to build on recent successes under Rohit Sharma's leadership across formats.

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