New Delhi: Dubbed as the miniature version of the World Cup, the eight-team ICC Champions Trophy is known for its tricky nature - a loss significantly impacts a team’s chances of reaching the semifinals and can even bring their campaign to a premature end.

In an exclusive conversation with IANS, Devang Gandhi - the former Indian player who was a member of the senior men’s selection committee from 2016/17 to 2020/21 - shared his insights on India’s chances in the Champions Trophy, Arshdeep Singh’s likely inclusion in the playing eleven, and the rationale behind the team selecting five spinners.

Excerpts:

Q. How do you analyse the make-up of India’s squad for this Champions Trophy?

A. I would definitely rate India as one of the favorites. If you look at the recently concluded series which we played against England, we really played well and winning against a good team like England, it does augur well for us. Everybody is in form right from the openers to the middle order and bowling wise too. Plus, we have got a lot of depth and variety there, so all bases are covered. Even if you look at our batting, it goes till eight, so that’s a very good sign as the top order guys can play with a lot of freeness.

Q. Talking about that 3-0 series win over England, how big a relief was Rohit and Virat getting vital runs before leaving for Champions Trophy?

A. It does auger really well, especially considering it was very important that Rohit gets back amongst runs. It is going to not only help him, but the entire Indian team in Dubai. So now we actually look as a very formidable unit. Even Virat, when he was batting in Ahmedabad, he was looking for making big runs. Both these guys must be very hungry to perform and probably win one more ICC trophy.

Q. In terms of fast bowlers, with no Bumrah around, how much the onus will be on Shami, Hardik, Harshit and Arshdeep to rise to the occasion?

A. We will definitely miss Bumrah, but having said that, there is an opportunity for Arshdeep or Harshit to grab it with both hands. I think India will definitely start with Shami because he has a lot of experience and possesses the ability to take wickets up front. In my opinion, Arshdeep should partner with Shami purely because he brings that variety of being a left arm quick.

Q. Quite a few eyebrows were raised when India picked five spinners for this competition. Did that take you by surprise, or is there a rationale for it?

A. The only logic that I feel is behind it is that there has been a lot of cricket played in Dubai. There were the league games (ILT20) played in Dubai. So keeping that in mind, the wickets might be a little knackered and tired, which means slower bowlers can play a big role. India’s most likely combination will be three fast bowlers, including Hardik, and three spinners - two left-arm spinners and a wrist spinner.