Pride, bragging rights and a $2.24m winner’s cheque will be on the line when the world’s top eight one-day international teams meet in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan, beginning on Wednesday.
Pakistan won the last edition in 2017, defeating India in the final at The Oval in England. This time around, Pakistan will look to celebrate the return of a major ICC event to their country after 29 years by winning the crown in front of an adoring home crowd.
Meanwhile, T20 world champions India will have their eyes set on avenging that devastating 180-run defeat to Pakistan eight years ago and are eyeing a second successive ICC title in two years.
Unassuming New Zealand will count themselves amongst the contenders after their impressive win in the tri-nation series hosted in Pakistan, which also included South Africa.
Australia’s loss of their talismanic captain Pat Cummins, as well as Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Marsh, has seen them slump into disarray and out of contention for the title.
Here’s a look at the three favourites for victory at the ICC Champions Trophy:
India
Best result: Champions (2002, 2013)
ODI ranking: 1
Players to watch: Shubman Gill, Kuldeep Yadav, Hardik Pandya
The 50-over World Cup in 2023 was set to be India’s crowning glory on home soil, until Australia turned the tables on the undefeated host nation and walked away with the title on November 19, 2023.
Rohit Sharma’s men brushed aside that crushing final loss, regrouped, and just seven months later were crowned T20 world champions.
In the past year, India have been in scintillating form in limited overs cricket, managing to separate their dismal Test performances to keep dominating opposing teams in T20 and ODI formats.
Their recent 3-0 drubbing of England in a home ODI series, as well as the prolific run-scoring form of top-order batter Shubman Gill, make India the leading contenders for the Champions Trophy title. Kuldeep Yadav’s wily leg-break bowling and Hardik Pandya’s ever-reliable all-round form make the two-time champions the side to beat in the star-studded eight-team tournament.
Pakistan
Best result: Champions (2017)
ODI ranking: 3
Players to watch: Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Fakhar Zaman
Pakistan cricket’s never-ending rollercoaster ride of coach and captain sackings, embarrassing losses and inexplicable wins make any predictions on their performance seem foolish. However, the men in green will relish the opportunity of winning their first ICC title at home and provide some respite to their faithful fans.
Pakistan have won their last three bilateral ODI series away from home, including a 2-1 triumph over world champions Australia and a 3-0 trouncing of a formidable South Africa side.
Mohammad Rizwan’s team boast an array of match-winning players, including star batter Babar Azam, fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi and hero of their 2017 title-winning run, Fakhar Zaman. Should all three players find their best form in front of a passionate and cricket-deprived home crowd, Pakistan will have more than a puncher’s chance of retaining the title they won eight years ago.
New Zealand
Best result: Champions (2000)
ODI ranking: 4
Players to watch: Kane Williamson, Matt Henry, Mitchell Santner
New Zealand have found themselves in the knockout stages of all but one of the last five ICC limited-overs World Cups but have yet to make the most of their chances.
The Blackcaps have not won an ICC tournament since the 2000 edition of the Champions Trophy, but under the shrewd leadership of all-rounder Mitchell Santner and the return to form of former captain Kane Williamson, New Zealand will be confident of turning the tide this time.
They enter the tournament on the back of a comfortable tri-nation series win in Pakistan. Their top batters have rediscovered run-scoring form and their pace bowlers have managed to sneak in wickets at the right time.
New Zealand’s fitness and fielding standards will be an added advantage when they face-off against top South Asian sides at the tournament.
