The 2025 Champions Trophy gets underway on Tuesday, with hosts Pakistan taking on New Zealand in Karachi.
After a turbulent build-up, which was plagued by uncertainty over whether and where India would play their games, the tournament returns from an eight-year hiatus.
The top eight teams from the 2023 50-over World Cup will be present, including an England side under pressure after a flat start to the Brendon McCullum white-ball era.
The contenders are split into two groups of four for a quick-fire round-robin phase, before the top two in each advance to the semi-finals.
Here’s all you need to know...
Group A
Bangladesh
Captain: Nazmul Hossain Shanto
Head coach: Phil Simmons
Champions Trophy best: Semi-finals (2017)
The rank outsiders with the bookmakers and with fair reason, not least because an opening contest with India offers no scope to ease into the tournament. Bangladesh qualified for this tournament by finishing ahead of Sri Lanka and the Netherlands on net-run-rate at the 2023 World Cup and have not won a series against a participating nation in more than two years.
They are also missing star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who is suspended from bowling after his action was reported while playing for Surrey last summer and has not warranted selection as a specialist batter.
Key player: With Shakib missing, Litton Das dropped and Shanto struggling for form, Mushfiqur Rahim’s experience in the middle-order will be vital.
India
Captain: Rohit Sharma
Head coach: Gautam Gambhir
Champions Trophy best: Winners (2002, 2013)
Fresh on the back of a dominant series whitewash of England, the world’s No1-ranked ODI side are out to right the wrongs of their home World Cup 18 months ago, when they were flawless until coming unstuck against Australia in the final.
This generation has, however, ended its tournament drought since, by winning the T20 World Cup last summer, and even without the injured Jasprit Bumrah look strong favourites to add another ICC trophy here.
Their success would, though, be controversial. India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan amid ongoing political tensions means the host nation will have to play their clash on neutral soil in the UAE, while the semi-final and final will also be moved should India get there.
Key player: Shubman Gill served notice of his form with scores of 112, 60 and 87 against England and now averages more than 60 in ODI cricket.
New Zealand
Captain: Mitchell Santner
Head coach: Gary Stead
Champions Trophy best: Winners (2000)
Regular bridesmaids at World Cups across formats, the Champions Trophy gave New Zealand what remains their sole limited-overs triumph at a men’s ICC tournament 25 years ago.
The intrigue this time around lies in a new-look bowling attack, with Trent Boult and Tim Southee retired and Lockie Ferguson injured, leaving Nathan Smith, Jacob Duffy and English-born Will O’Rourke in line for tournament debuts.
Rachin Ravindra will hope to match his breakout performances at the 2023 World Cup on return to Asian conditions but much of the Black Caps’ hopes look likely to hinge on Wednesday’s opener against Pakistan.
Key player: It can only be Kane Williamson, who this month signed a deal to play for Middlesex and London Spirit during the upcoming English summer. More pertinently, he also made an unbeaten 133 against South Africa.
Pakistan
Captain: Mohammad Rizwan
Head coach: Aaqib Javed
Champions Trophy best: Winners (2017)
The host nation of a major tournament for the first time in almost three decades and also the reigning champions, having thrashed India at the Oval to lift the trophy the last time it was held eight years ago.
Beaten by New Zealand in a tri-series that also featured South Africa last week, but ODI form had been excellent over the previous few months, including series wins in South Africa and Australia.
Must have a huge chance in home conditions, or at least familiar ones in the case of their Dubai group stage clash with India and, potentially another were the teams to meet again in the final.
Key player: Pakistan’s pace attack remains its biggest strength but Babar Azam’s form will be key, with the poster boy due to open the batting in the absence of the injured Saim Ayub.
Group B
Afghanistan
Captain: Hashmatullah Shahidi
Head coach: Jonathan Trott
Champions Trophy best: Debut
Made the jump from team with potential to cause an upset to serious contenders when coming within a whisker of reaching the semi-finals at the World Cup two years ago, then doing just that at the T20 equivalent last summer.
Even with Mujeeb Ur Rahman missing, spin attack looks primed to trouble any lineup given likely conditions, with Rashid Khan, the No1-ranked ODI bowler on the planet, as its familiar spearhead.
Key player: Batting has long been Afghanistan’s weakness, but Ibrahim Zadran’s emergence has gone some way to alleviating that in recent years. The opener averages 48 in ODIs and has five centuries in the format, including one against Australia at the last World Cup.
Australia
Captain: Steve Smith
Head coach: Andrew McDonald
Champions Trophy best: Winners (2006, 2009)
The Aussies arrive as world champions but heavily depleted by injuries and absentees, with Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Marsh, Cameron Green and Marcus Stoinis all missing for one reason or another.
Cummins’s injury means that Smith will captain the side, as he did during the last Champions Trophy in 2017, while Spencer Johnson, Nathan Ellis and Sean Abbott will step into the shoes of the “Big Three” in the seam attack.
Key player: With so much enforced change since that World Cup victory 18 months ago, Australia can at least be thankful that Travis Head, their final hero, remains fit and in-form.
England
Captain: Jos Buttler
Head coach: Brendon McCullum
Champions trophy best: Runners-up (2004, 2013)
McCullum’s arrival failed to spark an immediate revival in the declining fortunes of England’s 50-over side, with the tourists outplayed in a 3-0 defeat to India earlier this month and struggling to find the right tempo in the format.
They have, though, asked to be judged on performances in this tournament and must reach the semi-finals, at least, to avoid a significant backlash at home amid growing unrest at what is perceived to be a laissez-faire regime.
Buttler’s men will be hoping for flat pitches in Pakistan, rather than the turning tracks that saw them crumble at the back end of last year’s Test series, having had their weakness against spin exposed by India again.
Key player: Adil Rashid has long been thought of as England’s most irreplaceable player and emerged from the recent multi-format series against India with that view reemphasised.
South Africa
Captain: Temba Bavuma
Head coach: Rob Walter
Champions Trophy best: Winners (1998)
Looking to an end an ICC trophy drought that stretches back to the last millennium but - whisper it - look in decent shape to do so.
Take their recent ODI form with a pinch of salt, including poor recent tri-series when still missing several key players to SA20, their flagship domestic T20 competition.
The Proteas have a well-balanced squad even without Anrich Nortje among their pace options and have been knocking on the door in reaching a semi-final and then final at the last two ICC tournaments.
Key player: Kagiso Rabada is fresh off a player of the tournament display at the SA20, where he helped MI Cape Town to glory.
