Uthappa may shift to Kerala in Ranji Trophy

Leader of the pack, he has been in fine form in ODIs and in the IPL, having replaced MS Dhoni as RPS skipper. His 164 against New Zealand in 2016 stands out. Australia will look for inspiring leadership from him. A pace-heavy attack led by Mitchell Starc is expected to cash in on the conditions but no team can afford things to go wrong in a knockout format. The only surprise selection in the squad has been Moises Henriques while James Faulkner has been dropped. The form of some of the batsman in IPL will be heartening. Chris Lynn has made a return from shoulder injury for KKR, KXIP’s Marcus Stoinis is yet to recover from a shoulder injury suffered trying to take a catch during a practice session.

Steven Smith, David Warner and Lynn have been among runs, with Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Warner leading the scoring charts. The fiery opener is the right kind of player for any format. He can tear apart any attack and his exploits in IPL will help him go into the Champions Trophy full of confidence. The pacer is back after having recovered from a foot fracture. Starc is the leader of the pace pack and the left-arm bowler will enjoy the helpful conditions in England. Steven Smith (c), David Warner, Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, James Pattinson, Mitchell Strac, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade(WK), Adam Zampa.