Champions Trophy team selection deferred after BCCI’s missive to ICC

India's Champions Trophy squad selection delayed due to fitness concerns, with IPL set to start on March 21.

India’s squad for the Champions Trophy will be picked on January 19, a day after the Vijay Hazare Trophy final. This development came about after the BCCI asked the ICC for the squad submission deadline to be deferred by a week for the Indian team.

“We are waiting for some domestic matches that are going on, so, maybe, some good performance in the ongoing domestic matches will also be considered,” Devajit Saikia, the newly elected BCCI secretary, told reporters here on Sunday.

Despite Saikia’s emphasis on the Vijay Hazare Trophy, The Hindu understands that the primary reason for the BCCI seeking extension is the fitness status of pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami.

Bumrah, the Player of the Series in Australia despite sitting out of the last day’s play in the series, is likely to take six more weeks to be match-fit after a recurrence of his back injury. It may result in him being match-fit only in March, with the league stage being all but done with.

Shami, meanwhile, is being monitored daily for his ankle and knee injuries that have kept him away since the 2023 World Cup. He is expected to feature in at least three of the five T20Is against England, starting January 22.

Meanwhile, the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League will be played from March 21 till May 25, with Kolkata expected to host the opener and the final. BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla confirmed the window after the IPL Governing Council met here on Sunday afternoon.

Shukla also indicated that the Women’s Premier League has been deferred by a week and is now likely to start on February 14. He also confirmed that the third edition will be played in four venues – Mumbai (Brabourne stadium), Vadodara, Lucknow and Bengaluru.