Former South Africa cricketer Ab de Villers believes that spinner Kuldeep Yadav will be India's X factor in the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 which is scheduled to start from February 19. The Rohit Sharma-led squad play all their matches in Dubai and they will start their campaign against Bangladesh on February 20. India who finished as the runners-up in the previous edition of the Champions Trophy, will have huge expectations on their shoulders going into the 2025 tournament.
In his recent YouTube video, former South Africa star AB de Villiers said that Kuldeep Yadav, the talented left-arm wrist spinner, could play a pivotal role for India in the UAE.
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“Kuldeep Yadav is also in the Indian team, who I think can prove to be an X-factor for India. India is going to play its matches in Dubai. Spinners can get an advantage on the pitch there. Kuldeep can perform well for India,” said de Villiers.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have already announced their 15-member squad including Kuldeep Yadav for the eight-team event.
Team India will play all their matches in Dubai and the conditions in UAE will suit spinners, Kuldeep’s ability to turn the ball sharply and create pressure could make him a key player for India’s success in the tournament. Rohit Sharma-led side are scheduled to play a three-match ODI series against England before Champions Trophy to get prepared for the marquee event.
India Champions Trophy 2025 squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper) , KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami