After the conclusion of the IPL 2017, all eyes turn to the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, where India will look to defend the crown that they won in 2013. Virat Kohli will lead the side in his first major tournament as limited-overs skipper.
The defending champions have a strong squad to pick from, including a vast majority of the players who lifted the title in 2013 along with some impressive newcomers such as Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya. While India's squad has plenty of experience, it isn’t perfect, which is what might have prompted Kapil Dev to pick England as favourites over India.
Extra Cover: ICC Champions Trophy 2017 Schedule: Full time table with venue ground details, PDF download
Here are five areas of concern for India’s squad:
Lack of variety in the bowling attack
One of the features of the Indian Champions Trophy squad is just how safe it is. While there is little doubt that it has enough experience and quality to win the tournament, what it does lack is a bit of variety, especially in the bowling department.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah have been in great form in this year’s IPL but all the pacers are similar in that, they are right-arm fast bowlers, with little to distinguish them barring their actions. But the bigger concern is the lack of variety in the spin department.
Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are undoubtedly the two best spinners in the country but they are also the only two spinners in the squad. Yuzvendra Chahal, who has been impressive for Royal Challengers Bangalore and the chinaman Kuldeep Yadav were both not picked. Even the experienced Amit Mishra was ignored.
The lack of a wrist spinner might come back to haunt India especially on flat batting pitches where there is little assistance off the surface. Batsmen can just hit through the line and there is no mystery element, leg spinner or a chinaman in the squad to confuse them when they are going great guns.
Back-up for MS Dhoni
There is little doubt that MS Dhoni is the best wicketkeeper in the world and his exploits in this year’s IPL have shown that his prowess with the bat shows no sign of diminishing. However, one big area of concern for India is the lack of a back-up for the former Indian captain.
While there are few fitter athletes in the Indian side than the 35-year-old, there is nothing wrong with having a back-up, especially for a crucial role such as the wicketkeeper. While India do have Kedar Jadhav in their ranks, the national side have used him more as an all-rounder rather than a wicketkeeper.
The lack of a backup is a concern not just because of Dhoni's incredible abilities behind the stumps but also because he occupies the crucial finisher role in the side. While Jadhav has shown he can take care of the latter, he is nothing but a part-time wicketkeeper.
In English conditions, where the ball is expected to move around, Jadhav cannot be counted upon with the gloves, which is what makes the omission of someone like Rishabh Pant, who has shown he is equally adept with both bat and behind the stumps, a little puzzling.
Fitness concerns over key players
The last ODI Mohammed Shami featured in was the semi-final of the ICC World Cup 2015 against Australia. While the fast bowler is undoubtedly one of the best pacers in the country and arguably the spearhead of the attack, he has been injured for a vast majority of the last two seasons.
The fact that he wasn’t a regular member of the Delhi Daredevils side in IPL 2017 might have been down to combination but the fact that he hasn’t played consistently is a concern, especially in a short tournament such as the Champions Trophy, where the games come thick and fast.
Ravichandran Ashwin is undoubtedly the No. 1 spinner in the side but he too is just coming back from injury. He didn't take part in IPL 2017 due to a sports hernia and has only just got back to training and into the rhythm of bowling. While he will only have to bowl 10 overs unlike the long spells he bowled during the home season that preceded the injury, the fact that he isn’t match-fit less than two weeks before the start of the Champions Trophy is an area of concern.
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Yuvraj Singh also has a finger injury that ruled him out of a couple of games for SRH. While it might turn out to be nothing and all might be well in the Champions Trophy, having fitness concerns over your leading fast bowler, spinner and all-rounder don't inspire confidence.
Form of star performers
Four fifties in 10 T20s aren't bad numbers by any stretch of the imagination but much has been said about Virat Kohli’s slump in form. While the form of the Indian captain isn’t a huge concern, that of their star opener and all-rounder is.
While Rohit Sharma has showcased his astute captaincy throughout IPL 2017, his form with the bat is a major concern for Kohli, as is his new problem of getting out to leg spinners. 283 runs in 15 matches at an average of under 25 doesn’t make for great reading. Especially when you are one of the best ODI openers currently and the team are counting on you to make a brisk start.
The fact that he hasn’t been opening for MI is another area of concern as he will have to go from being a middle-order batsman to opening the innings against the moving ball in England.
Ravindra Jadeja may be knocking down stumps as if his life depended on it but he hasn’t been as good with the ball. Five wickets in 12 matches at an economy rate in excess of 9 aren't the kind of numbers you want in your bag ahead of a major tournament.
Lack of ODIs
Among all members of the current squad, MS Dhoni has played the most ODIs since the start of 2016. Dhoni has played 16 while Kohli has played 13 and Rohit Sharma has played 10. Contrast this with the numbers that star batsmen from other teams have played and you will start to notice a worrying trend.
David Warner has scored over 1,700 runs in 28 ODIs while Steve Smith has played 31 ODIs and has nearly 1,500 runs to his name in the same period. Joe Root has played 22 ODIs while Kane Williamson has played 25 as both have plenty of games under their belts in the build-up to the Champions Trophy.
This has nothing to do with the players but a lot to do with the schedule in the lead up to the tournament. After all, you can’t play ODIs if your team aren’t scheduled to play but the fact that they have played so few games in the format that they will compete in, in the build-up to the tournament, is a concern.
As is the fact that Ashwin has played just 5 ODIs since January 2016 and Yuvraj Singh made his ODI comeback in January 2017 and has played just three. While every member of the squad, aside from Ashwin will have taken part in the IPL ahead of the Champions Trophy, they are still two very different formats and adjusting to them won’t be straightforward. Especially when you have players like Shami, who haven’t played an ODI in over two years.
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