Eight Teams Battle to Win ICC Champions Trophy 2025
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025, often called the ICC’s ‘mini World Cup,’ is set to begin in Pakistan from February 19. This prestigious One-Day International (ODI) tournament is making a comeback after eight years, with top cricketing nations competing for the trophy.
India: The Strongest Contender After T20 World Cup Victory
After clinching the T20 World Cup 2024, the Indian team is one of the top contenders to win the Champions Trophy. Their recent form in ODIs, including a dominant 3-0 series win against England, makes them favorites. Alongside India, teams like New Zealand, South Africa, and defending champions Pakistan are expected to put up strong performances.
✅ Full ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Schedule – Check fixtures, match timings, and venues.
Tournament Format: Quick Decision in 19 Days
- Start Date: February 19, 2025
- Group Stage: February 19 – March 2, 2025
- Semi-finals: March 4 & 5, 2025
- Final: March 9, 2025
- Total Matches: 15
The eight teams are divided into two groups of four, where each team will play three group-stage matches. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals.
✅ ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Points Table – Stay updated with team standings and net run rate.
Teams to Watch Out For
India and New Zealand are in red-hot form leading into the Champions Trophy.
- India defeated England 3-0 in their last ODI series.
- New Zealand registered wins over Pakistan (twice) and South Africa in recent games played on Pakistani soil.
New Zealand Team
Conway (wc), Latham (wc), Williamson, Young, Santner (capt), Bracewell, Chapman, Mitchell, Phillips, Rachin, Nathan Smith, Duffy, Henry, O’Rourke.
India Team
Rohit Sharma (capt), Gill, Iyer, Kohli, Pant (v.c.), Rahul (v.c.), Hardik, Akshar, Jadeja, Sundair, Arshdeep, Harshit, Shami, Kuldeep, Chakraborty.
Australia Team
Capt.), Carey (v.c.), McClerk, Glass (v.c.), Labuschagne, Short, Tutt, Hardy, Maxwell, Duvarshuis, S, S.Johnson, Sangha, Zampa.
Bangladesh Team
Shanto (Capt.), Jacare (V.K.), Rahim (V.K.), Eamon (V.K.), Tanzeed, Hadoy, Mahmudullah, Miraz, Nasum, Rishad, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzim, Rahman, Nahid Rana, Taskin.
- Pakistan will enjoy the home advantage and recently chased a massive 353-run target against South Africa, showing their strong batting depth.
- South Africa scored 300+ runs in their last three ODIs in Pakistan, making them a serious threat.
✅ Latest ICC ODI Team Rankings – See how the teams stack up before the tournament.
South Africa Team
Bavuma (capt.), Dzorgi, Klaasen (v.c.), Miller, Rickelton (v.c.), Stubbs, Derdusen, Bosch, Janssen, Mulder, Markram, Maharaj, Ngidi, Rabada, Shamsi.
Pakistan Team
Rizwan (V.K.), Babar, Zaman, Shakeel, T. Tahir, Usman, Salman, Faheem, Ghulam, Khushdil, Abrar, Rauf, Hassan, Naseem, Afidi.
England Team
Buttler (capt., v.c.), Banton (v.c.), Book, Duckett, Root, Salt (v.c.), J.Smith (v.c.), Carrs, Livingston, A Overton, Archer, Atitkanson, Saqib, Na Rashid, Wood.
Afghanistan Team
Shahidi (Capt.), Zadran, Alikhil (V.K.), Gurbaz (V.K.), L. Atal, Rahmat, Omarzai, Naib, Nabi, Kharote, Rashid, Fareed, Farooqui, Navid Zadran, Noor.
Afghanistan: The Dark Horse
Afghanistan could spring surprises in the Champions Trophy. Their world-class spin attack, featuring Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, has troubled top teams before.
- They defeated South Africa 2-1 in an ODI series in Sharjah last year.
- Afghanistan was a semi-finalist in the T20 World Cup, proving their growing strength in global tournaments.
Australia, England & Bangladesh: Looking for a Miracle
- Australia is struggling due to the absence of key bowlers like Pat Cummins, Starc, and Hazlewood. They also lost 0-2 against Sri Lanka, who didn’t even qualify for the Champions Trophy.
- England looks out of form after their 0-3 series loss to India.
- Bangladesh has been struggling, losing recent ODI series to both Afghanistan and West Indies.
- ✅ Live ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Scores – Follow real-time match updates and scores.
India’s Matches in Dubai
While Pakistan is the host nation, all of India’s matches will be played in Dubai due to security reasons. This could reduce Pakistan’s home advantage and make the competition more interesting.
Post Comment