Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recently selected his Team of the Tournament for the 2025 Champions Trophy, which took place in Pakistan and Dubai. His lineup included four players from the champion Indian side – Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Kuldeep Yadav, and Varun Chakaravarthy.
Kohli’s standout performances included a match-winning 100* against Pakistan and a crucial 84 in the semifinal victory over Australia. Meanwhile, Iyer emerged as the most consistent batter of the tournament, scoring 243 runs at an average of 48.60. Varun finished as the second leading wicket-taker with nine wickets, while Kuldeep claimed seven wickets in the competition.
Ashwin’s opening pair consisted of Rachin Ravindra and Ben Duckett, with Ravindra finishing as the leading run-scorer of the tournament. The middle order featured Australia’s Josh Inglis and South Africa’s David Miller, who both played crucial innings in tough run-chases. Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai and New Zealand’s Michael Bracewell were selected as the all-rounders, while Matt Henry was the specialist pacer in the XI.
Additionally, Ashwin named New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner as the 12th Man for his Team of the 2025 Champions Trophy. The complete lineup included Rachin Ravindra, Ben Duckett, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Josh Inglis, David Miller, Azmatullah Omarzai, Michael Bracewell, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Matt Henry.
In contrast, the ICC announced its official Team of the Tournament for the 2025 Champions Trophy, which also featured five Indian players. Alongside Kohli, Iyer, and Varun, the ICC included KL Rahul and Mohammed Shami in their lineup, omitting Kuldeep from the side. The opening pair for the ICC team comprised of Rachin Ravindra and Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran, while Glenn Phillips and Mitchell Santner replaced Inglis and Miller in the middle order.
The ICC’s Team of the Tournament for the 2025 Champions Trophy consisted of Rachin Ravindra, Ibrahim Zadran, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Glenn Phillips, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mitchell Santner (c), Mohammed Shami, Matt Henry, and Varun Chakaravarthy, with Axar Patel as the 12th Man.
Overall, both Ashwin and the ICC recognized the standout performers of the tournament, with Indian players making a significant impact throughout the competition. India’s dominance in the Champions Trophy was evident, with their players featuring prominently in the best XI selected by both Ashwin and the ICC.
