India has been undefeated in their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign, winning all matches in the group stage and dominating Australia in the semifinal. However, legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar believes there is still room for improvement. Despite India’s strong performance, Gavaskar pointed out areas where the team could be better, such as taking more wickets in the middle overs and establishing stronger opening partnerships. He also emphasized the need for pacers to take early wickets within the first 10 overs.
Gavaskar commented, ‘The opening pairs haven’t provided the desired starts, which is a clear shortcoming. Ideally, taking 2 or 3 wickets in the first 10 overs with the new ball is crucial, but that hasn’t consistently happened. Additionally, while runs have been contained in the middle overs, wickets haven’t fallen frequently enough. Improving in these areas will significantly increase the chances of winning the final.’
Despite these points, Gavaskar advocates for maintaining the current playing XI, particularly the strategy of fielding 4 spinners. He believes the inclusion of both Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav has significantly strengthened India’s bowling attack and advises against altering a successful combination.
Gavaskar added, ‘I think they should continue with 4 spinners. There’s no reason to change now. The effectiveness of Chakravarthy and Kuldeep has been evident. Taking wickets is the most effective way to control the game in limited-overs cricket. They have been successful, so no changes should be made.’
