Thu Feb 06 08:40:00 UTC 2025: ## India Announces Playing XI for First ODI Against England, Varun Chakravarthy Makes Debut

**Nagpur, India:** India has announced its playing XI for the first ODI against England in Nagpur, marking the start of a three-match series. The announcement comes after England revealed their team earlier. This series is crucial for several Indian players as it serves as preparation for the upcoming Champions Trophy.

A late change to the Indian squad saw the inclusion of Varun Chakravarthy, replacing the injured Jasprit Bumrah. While Bumrah was initially selected for the final ODI, he was ultimately dropped from the squad. The selectors are using this series to assess Chakravarthy’s form before deciding whether to include him in the Champions Trophy squad, with the deadline for final selection being February 11th. Chakravarthy’s inclusion is expected to mean Washington Sundar will be omitted from the playing XI.

The Indian batting order is largely unchanged, with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill opening the innings, followed by Virat Kohli at number three and Shreyas Iyer at number four. KL Rahul will bat at number five and keep wickets. Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel will provide all-round contributions.

With Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj unavailable, Mohammed Shami, returning to ODI cricket after a 15-month absence, will spearhead the pace attack alongside Arshdeep Singh. Kuldeep Yadav and the debutant Varun Chakravarthy will be the spin bowlers.

**India’s Playing XI for the Nagpur ODI:** Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakravarthy.

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