Champions Trophy 2025 : Gambhir Wanted Hardik Pandya, Shubman Gill Made Vice-Captain With Rohit-Agarkar's Support- Report

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With India gearing up for the three-match ODI series against England starting February 6 and the ICC Champions Trophy scheduled to begin on February 19 in Pakistan and Dubai, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently finalized the squads for these crucial tournaments.

While most of the names were already agreed upon, the selection committee meeting held on Saturday at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai over 2.5 hours saw intense deliberations over one key decision-who should be India's vice-captain?

The choice boiled down to two names: Hardik Pandya and Shubman Gill. As per a report by Dainik Jagran, Head coach Gautam Gambhir strongly advocated for Hardik to retain the vice-captaincy role, citing his leadership experience. However, skipper Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar favored the young and dependable Shubman Gill for the role.

The Debate Over Vice-Captaincy

Hardik Pandya has previously served as the vice-captain in ODIs and T20Is when Rohit Sharma was the captain across all formats. He also held the same role during the 2023 ODI World Cup. However, after Hardik was sidelined mid-tournament due to injury, KL Rahul took over as vice-captain. Shubman Gill's rise in stature came later when he was appointed vice-captain for both ODIs and T20Is during a series against Sri Lanka.

Given Gill's consistent performances and his growing stature as a reliable batter, Rohit and Agarkar argued in favor of handing him the responsibility. On the other hand, Hardik's leadership abilities, which earned him the captaincy of the Mumbai Indians in 2023, made him a strong contender in Gambhir's eyes.

India's Preparations for the Champions Trophy

India's Champions Trophy campaign begins on February 19, with Pakistan hosting most of the matches. However, due to BCCI's decision not to send the team across the border, the Men in Blue's matches will be held in Dubai. The hybrid model, decided by the ICC, has raised logistical and planning challenges for the team.

The Champions Trophy holds significant importance for India, especially after the heartbreak of the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they fell short in the final against Australia despite being the dominant team throughout the tournament.