Harbhajan Singh offers insights on India's Champions Trophy squad: Samson ahead of Pant, Axar set to replace Jadeja

After months of anticipation, the eagerly awaited return of the Champions Trophy is just around the corner, seven years since its last appearance. With speculations running wild, cricket fans are eagerly awaiting the announcement of the players who will represent India in the tournament. The BCCI's selection of players has been the subject of much debate, with everyone eagerly waiting to see who will make the final cut.

Jadeja, an all-rounder who has delivered in all spectrums of the game for years, is now facing a scenario where he could be axed from the squad.

With the recent surge of Axar Patel, there are high chance that only one out of the two could be on the plane to Dubai. If such a scenario arises, Harbhajan wants Axar to be in Dubai with the Men in Blue ahead of the seasoned all-rounder.

"I have chosen Axar Patel over Ravindra Jadeja. I think Axar is ready to fulfil the role that Jadeja has done for so many years," Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.

Another dilemma that India needs to address is the wicketkeeping options. Rishabh Pant was considered to be the hot pick in the department before a life-threatening accident in 2022 kept him out of action till 2024.

During that period, India tried out many players in the position but never got the satisfaction or confidence. Since Pant made his return, Sanju Samson has become a hot prospect in the white-ball format.

After Rohit Sharma retired from T20Is, Sanju grabbed the opportunity with both hands. While opening for India in the shortest format of cricket, he showed his class against Bangladesh on home turf with a century.

The experienced batter then went on to etch his name in the history book by becoming the first batter to tonk three centuries in T20Is in a calendar year.

With Pant going through a long tour of Australia, Harbhajan feels it won't be a "big thing" if Samson is preferred for the Champions Trophy over the explosive southpaw.

"I think one among Sanju Samson or Rishabh Pant should be picked. I feel Sanju should be preferred because he had played in South Africa. Rishabh played well in Australia, but it was a long tour, so if he is rested, it's not a big thing," Harbhajan added.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

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