Ravichandran Ashwin picks his Champions Trophy 2025 best XI; omits Rohit Sharma & Mohammed Shami

The renowned Ravichandran Ashwin made some audacious decisions when he unveiled his best team from the just finished Champions Trophy 2025. Curiously, the 38-year-old omitted Mohammed Shami, who shared second place in wicket-taking, and the victorious captain Rohit Sharma.

On Sunday, March 9, India defeated New Zealand by four wickets in an exciting final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, winning all of their matches in the eight-team competition. But only four Indian players were selected as members of the ‘Team of the Tournament’ for Ashwin’s Champions Trophy 2025.

As his two openers, Ashwin chose Rachin Ravindra and Ben Duckett rather than Rohit, who was named Player of the Match (POTM) in the final. Ashwin had to choose between Virat Kohli and Joe Root for No. 3. The off-spinner did, however, end up going for Kohli, praising his ability to produce under pressure, especially during the match.

At number four, Ashwin naturally selected Shreyas Iyer, who led India in runs scored in the Champions Trophy 2025. The former Indian spin legend omitted players who were crucial to India’s success in crucial situations, such as Axar Patel, KL Rahul, and Hardik Pandya.

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) spinner picked Josh Inglis as his wicketkeeper-batter, while David Miller was chosen for the finisher’s role. Azmatullah Omarzai and Michael Bracewell were the two all-rounders picked in Ashwin’s lineup.

Spin dominance and lone pacer in Ashwin’s Best XI

In the bowling department, Ravichandran Ashwin had no hesitation in picking the Indian spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy. Kuldeep took seven wickets in five games, while Chakravarthy proved to be India’s game-changer on several occasions, finishing with nine wickets in just three matches. Ashwin named Matt Henry, the tournament’s highest wicket-taker, as the only specialist pacer in the side. New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner was picked as the 12th man.

Ashwin’s CT 2025 Team of the Tournament:

Rachin Ravindra, Ben Duckett, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Josh Inglis, David Miller, Azmatullah Omarzai, Michael Bracewell, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Matt Henry.