India whitewash England in the ODI series with a 3-0 margin. Here are some of the top takeaways for Team India ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Team India couldn’t have asked for better preparation ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025 than a dominant series win over England. The reigning T20 World Champions clinched the three-match series 3-0, with all victories being highly comprehensive.
These matches against England were the only ODIs the Rohit Sharma-led team were scheduled to play before their opening CT clash against Bangladesh. Heading into the tournament, the Men in Blue will be in a positive frame of mind, as most of their players had strong performances in the series.
What are the biggest takeaways for Team India from this England series?
Senior batters regain form ahead of Champions Trophy
Coming into the series, India faced the challenge of not having played together as an ODI unit for some time. Adding to their concerns, star batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were short of runs, albeit in the Test format. Hence, this three-match series was crucial for the batting department to find form ahead of the Champions Trophy.
The results would give India plenty of reasons to cheer, as most of their batters made significant contributions. Shubman Gill (259 runs) crossed the fifty-run mark in all three innings, converting one into a century, while Shreyas Iyer amassed 181 runs at No. 4, continuing his stellar run in the format.
However, the biggest positive for India was perhaps Rohit Sharma’s century (119) in the Cuttack ODI and Virat Kohli’s fluent 51 in the final game. These two knocks provided much-needed relief and confidence to India’s batting unit, making the top four look solid and settled on paper. Read More: IND vs ENG, 3rd ODI, 2024-25: India get their second-biggest win against England, sweep series 3-0
India’s all-rounder reserves tested
India’s squad for the Champions Trophy boast an abundance of talent, with a key highlight being the variety of options at their disposal. The team has included four all-rounders — Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar — all of whom bring immense value with both bat and ball.
In the ODI series against England, India regularly featured three of these all-rounders in the playing XI, providing both batting depth and variety in the bowling attack. Jadeja had a couple of standout performances with the ball, claiming six wickets in two games, while Axar impressed with 106 runs batting up the order.
The inclusion of these versatile players adds firepower and flexibility to India’s squad, offering the think-tank valuable options heading into the tournament.
Pace and spin deliver for India
Even before the Champions Trophy, India were dealt a major blow with the news that their pace spearhead and star bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, had been ruled out of the tournament. While his absence was significant, the other bowlers in the squad stepped up and delivered commendable performances.
Debutant Harshit Rana had a decent series, picking up six wickets at an average of 24.33, while Mohammad Shami made his much-anticipated return to the ODI format, gaining valuable match practice. Kuldeep Yadav showed promising signs of regaining rhythm post-injury, and Arshdeep Singh impressed in the lone ODI he played.
Overall, all the bowlers, including the newly drafted Varun Chakravarthy, got crucial game time ahead of their Champions Trophy campaign in Dubai. Read More: Top 5 spinners to watch out for in Champions Trophy 2025
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