Champions Trophy 2025: Rohit Sharma-led India squad leaves for Dubai from Mumbai (WATCH)

Team India skipper Rohit Sharma and his players have departed for Dubai from Mumbai Airport for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 on Saturday, February 15. All Indian players who have been picked into the squad assembled in Mumbai before their flight to Dubai, where they will begin their preparations for the tournament. 

The Men in Blue will begin their quest for the Champions Trophy against Bangladesh in a Group A match on February 20. However, Rohit Sharma-led Team India would not be playing warm-up matches ahead of the marquee event, as per the official warm-up matches schedule released by International Cricket Council (ICC). 

Also read: 'It's team game, not individuals': Ex-India captain on Jasprit Bumrah being ruled out of Champions Trophy 2025

In a video posted by ANI on its X handle (formerly Twitter), Team India players can be seen entering the Mumbai Airport after the security check. Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir and players, including the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana, Rishabh Pant, and others are part of the first batch to leave for Dubai. Indian skipper Rohit was the last to arrive at the airport. 

Watch: Rohit Sharma and Indian players leaving for Dubai

As per the report by IANS, the initial plan for the team was to leave for Dubai in two batches. However, the BCCI new guidelines and policy issued last month stated that the Indian players will travel together rather than in batches for the overseas tours and thus, it was decided that the entire India squad will leave together to Dubai for the Champions Trophy 2025. 

Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah was not part of the squad that departed to Dubai as he was ruled out of the marquee event. On Tuesday night, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced two changes to the squad by bringing Harshit Rana as a replacement for Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy replacing Yashasvi Jaiswal. Bumrah was part of the preliminary squad for the marquee event, but injury ruled him out of the entire tournament. 

No family accompanied with the Indian players

This time, no family members of the Indian players accompanied the team to Dubai for the Champions Trophy. During the overseas tours, Indian players would often tag their families along with the team. However, after the disastrous Test tour of Australia, BCCI decided to implement fresh guidelines and policy. 

In a 10-point policy released by the BCCI last month, the board put restrictions on family travelling with the players. As per the policy, the families can stay with the players for two weeks if the series or tour stretches for 45 days or more. Since the Champions Trophy is only for 19 days, starting from February 19 to March 9 and if India squad is reaching Dubai on 15 February, which will stretch to 24 days, the families won’t be allowed to accommodate the players. 

As per the report, ‘senior’ Indian player reached out to the BCCI with a request to take his family to Dubai, only to have his request turned down. However, the source stated that the exception could be made if the player is unwilling to spend money from their pocket for family stay. 

Also read: Virat Kohli to Babar Azam: 7 batters who can find form in Champions Trophy 2025

India squad for Champions Trophy 2025: 

Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.