Virat, Rohit termed crucial for India’s Champions Trophy campaign

India coach Gautam Gambhir has expressed hope that captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will play a ‘massive role’ for the team in the Champions Trophy 2025.

Questions were raised over the two stars’ future after India suffered a 1-3 defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

At the time, Gambhir said that it was up to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to make the decision about their future.

Now, the India coach has expressed that the two senior players will rise to the occasion in the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025.

“I think both Rohit and Virat, they add so much value to the dressing room. They add so much value to Indian cricket as well. They’ve got to play a massive role (in the Champions Trophy),” Gautam Gambhir said during an event in Mumbai.

Read more: Gambhir shares plans for Pakistan game at Champions Trophy

According to Gambhir, both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were hungry to play for India.

“They want to play for the country. They have the passion to play for the country and deliver for the country,” the India coach said.

India will begin their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign with their game against Bangladesh in Dubai on February 20.

They will then face Pakistan, the defending champions and hosts of the tournament, on February 23 at the same venue.

India will play their last group stage game against New Zealand on March 2.

India squad for Champions Trophy 2025:

Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja.