Delhi: Former Indian batsman Suresh Raina, who was a part of the ICC Champions Trophy winning team, said that T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav should have been included in the team for the 50-over format. He described Surya as the player who fills the gap of 'X-factor' in the team.

Although, Suryakumar has confirmed his place in T20, but he has not been able to do so in the 50 over format. He last played in an ODI match in the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup against Australia in Ahmedabad.

Raina said, “After the announcement of the team, I was surprised that Suryakumar Yadav was not given a place. He is called a '360 degree' player in white ball cricket. He can play sweep shots, change the course of the match in the middle overs and score runs quickly. He should have been in the team.”

Raina further said, “In the middle overs, a player is needed who can dominate the opposition team. The dimensions of the Dubai ground suit Surya's batting style. If Surya had been in the team, there would have been no shortage in the middle order. His absence puts more responsibility on the top order, while his form is not good right now. Questions are being raised regarding the batting order of KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel. Had Surya been there, this problem would not have happened.”

It is noteworthy that the Indian cricket selectors have announced a 15-member team for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which will start from February 19 in Pakistan. Indian team captain Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar announced the squad during the press conference. Team India will play its first match against Bangladesh on 20 February. Suryakumar Yadav's name is not included in this team.

Indian team squad

Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja. .