'Avoid Frequent Changes': Former Indian Cricketer On India's Playing XI For Champions Trophy

Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif's bold take on India's playing XI, citing that the side should avoid 'frequent' changes. Read below.

Mohammad Kaif has represented India 125 times in ODI Cricket, and is best remembered for his iconic innings at Lord's, in the Natwest Series 2002 Final against England, were India pulled-off a historic chase

Source : PTI

Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has advised the coaching staff of the Indian Cricket Team (ICT) to avoid making 'frequent' changes in the Playing XI, heading into the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign.

The '2002 Natwest Final Hero' at Lord's stated that the disruption in the top order of Indian team is uncalled for, and also ended up criticising Yashasvi Jaiswal's ODI debut merely days before mega event.

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"There is a new culture developing in Indian Cricket recently, which I have noticed and seen, and that is, if a player performs in a match, or say a couple of matches, then the coaching staff, management, and head coach should show some patience with the player. They should rather that 'you are doing good but wait, we don't have the slot in the Playing XI'," said Mohammad Kaif, in a latest video released on his YouTube channel. 

"They made Yashasvi Jaiswal open (on his ODI debut), which in my opinion, was a bad decision. Pushing Jaiswal above Shubman Gill is not justified, as the latter formed a memorable pair up front with skipper Rohit Sharma in India's magical run at ICC Men's ODI Cricket World Cup 2023 (where they made it to the Final, only to lose to eventual winners Australia)," said the former Indian cricketer.

"The foundating laid by them was followed up by the likes of Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer, who scored big runs at crucial stages. So sacrificing Gill, who almost averages 60 in ODI's was baffling to me," he added.

Watch:

Indian team selection should be well planned, not based on only a few recent performances.

Watch the full video on my YouTube channel. Link below 🔗#CricketWithKaif11 #ChampionsTrophy #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/ionv7ReNuK

— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) February 18, 2025