India Champions Trophy squad announcement Highlights: Will Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah feature in India's pace attack?

Known for his elegant stroke-play and ability to anchor innings under pressure, Shreyas Iyer could be the X-factor Team India needs for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy starting February 19.

Iyer adds stability to the middle order — a crucial component in ICC tournaments. His skill against spin and his ability to accelerate make him a dependable finisher in challenging conditions.

Having last played for India during the Sri Lanka tour in August, Iyer will be hoping to keep his spot in the Indian team with the squad for England limited-overs series and Champions Trophy to be announced in the next 2-3 days.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has relocated next month’s tri-series to renovated stadiums in Lahore and Karachi as it prepares to host the Champions Trophy.

The four-match tri-series, featuring Pakistan, South Africa and New Zealand, starts Feb. 8. The PCB had initially planned to host it in Multan.

“Given the advanced stage of preparations at the Gaddafi Stadium (in Lahore) and the National Bank Stadium (in Karachi), the PCB has decided to relocate the upcoming tri-nation ODI series to these two venues,” the PCB said in a statement on Wednesday.

The PCB has spent millions of dollars on the renovation and upgrade of stadiums in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi for the Champions Trophy – its first major ICC tournament in 29 years.

The capacity of Gaddafi Stadium has been increased to 35,000 with two giant digital replay screens also scheduled to be installed by next week. New player and hospitality enclosures have been built, which the PCB says will be operational by Jan. 25.

At Karachi’s National Bank Stadium, new player and officials' hospitality enclosures have been constructed, as well as 5,000 new seats.

Work at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi, the third venue for the Champions Trophy, has included installing 10,000 new seats. The PCB said more than “250 workers (are) laboring day and night to meet the Jan. 25 deadline” for renovation work.

“The PCB is confident that the upgrades will elevate the fan experience and uphold Pakistan’s reputation as a premier cricketing destination,” the PCB said.

The Champions Trophy begins in Karachi on Feb. 19, with India playing all its matches in Dubai.

Pakistan will host 10 group matches and possibly the final at Lahore, if India doesn’t qualify for it. India is in Group A with Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh. Group B comprises England, Australia, South Africa and Afghanistan.

India's former chief selector MSK Prasad has batted for talented allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy's inclusion in the Indian ODI team too.

The 21-year-old, who scored a century in the fourth Test of the recently-concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the Boxing Day Test, has already played five Tests (298 runs@37.25 & five wickets@38.00) and three T20Is (90 runs@45.00 & three wickets@23.66), but is yet to make his ODI debut.

India Squad For Champions Trophy Live: But with Kuldeep Yadav yet to return back to competitive action as his rehab from hernia surgery and gradual return to bowling still happening at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, Varun has an outside chance to be into the India ODI set-up for the England series and Champions Trophy, with the selectors set to deliberate over make-up of the spin department

India Champions Trophy squad announcement Live: Chakaravarthy, who was stellar for India in its T20I series wins against Bangladesh and South Africa, picked 5/52 in the pre quarterfinal match of Vijay Hazare Trophy for Tamil Nadu, though it didn't lead them to a win over Rajasthan at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara

India Squad For Champions Trophy Live: Reports say that Chakaravarthy's prospect of being an outside chance for selection in ODI games for India, apart from being a certainty in the T20I team, comes at a time when he's picked 18 wickets to be the leading wicket-taker in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, including consecutive five-wicket hauls on the trot

India Champions Trophy squad announcement Live: According to reports, wrist-spinner Varun Chakaravarthy might emerge as an outside chance to enter India's squads for ODIs against England and Champions Trophy

India Squad For Champions Trophy Live: Cummins has been troubled by the ankle issue throughout the Australian summer but managed to guide his team to a 3-1 victory over India in the marquee Border-Gavaskar Test series recently

India Champions Trophy squad announcement Live: An injury concern looms over Australian skipper Pat Cummins ahead of the Champions Trophy with the pacer set to undergo a scan on his "sore ankle", and chairman of selectors George Bailey refusing to confirm his availability for the marquee event

India Squad For Champions Trophy Live: The official added that a local reporter had, without permission, filmed the construction work at National Stadium Karachi and presented a negative picture

India Champions Trophy squad announcement Live: The source also said that an earlier statement about the stadium's work progress was also given out because of speculation in the media that the event would be moved out because of incomplete work at the venues

India Squad For Champions Trophy Live: A PCB source said that the presence of a large International Cricket Council (ICC) delegation, including broadcast, hospitality and event operations officials, is an affirmation that the event is on schedule in Pakistan

India Champions Trophy squad announcement Live: The Pakistan Cricket Board has rubbished speculations that the ICC Champions Trophy will be moved out of the country due to delayed construction work at three stadiums that will host the event

Jos Buttler (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood.

India Squad For Champions Trophy Live: After returning from Australia, where he featured in all the five Tests in a gruelling Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, Rahul had decided to opt out of the Karnataka squad for the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy knockouts, which began from Thursday in Vadodara

India Champions Trophy squad announcement Live: While he hasn't been a part of India's T20 side of late, Rahul has been India's No 1 ‘keeper-batter in the ODIs where he has consistently scored runs in the middle-order

India Squad For Champions Trophy Live: Rahul, who plays in the middle order and is a wicketkeeper in the ODIs, has been assured by the national selectors that he will be picked for the Champions Trophy in February

India Champions Trophy squad announcement Live: India batter KL Rahul is set to be rested from the eight-match white-ball series against England at home, comprising five T20Is and three ODIs, which will kick off from January 22 with the first T20I in Kolkata

India Squad For Champions Trophy Live: But following the 2023 ODI World Cup, Rahul's ability to hold wickets for extended periods of time became questionable

India Champions Trophy squad announcement Live: In ODIs, KL Rahul had emerged as the go-to wicketkeeper while Rishabh Pant was out of the starting line-up

India Squad For Champions Trophy Live: The selectors' greatest task is to narrow down their alternatives for wicketkeeping and then balance the bottom middle order with batting-capable spinners

India Champions Trophy squad announcement Live: The players from the just finished Australia tour, who are expected to compete in the Champions Trophy, are reportedly going to play directly in the three-match ODI series

India Squad For Champions Trophy Live: Before deciding on a possible squad for the Champions Trophy and the ensuing ODI series against England, the selectors will choose a side for the T20I home series against England separately

India Champions Trophy squad announcement Live: One can anticipate heated discussions about finding the two wicketkeepers, balancing the spin attack, and closely monitoring the fitness of Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah when the national selectors and the Indian team management meet over the weekend to decide the team for the forthcoming ICC Champions Trophy next month