2025 ICC Champions Trophy Preview
19 February to 9 March
The eight top One-Day International (ODI) cricket teams will compete in Pakistan and Dubai in the ICC Champions Trophy, the first held since 2017. The Champions Trophy is only second in limited over stature to the World Cup and remains the only ICC trophy that the Proteas have won (back in 1998, when it was called the ICC Knockout Trophy)
All of the matches were meant to be hosted by Pakistan, but due to political conflict between India and Pakistan, all of India’s matches (including potential knockout matches) will be held in the UAE in Dubai.
Australia won the 2023 World Cup in India and will therefore start as one of the favourites, along with Number 1 ranked India. However, any of the other 6 teams could lift the trophy, and once again, South Africa will be hoping to break their ICC tournament bogey, after losing the 2023 World Cup semis and the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Check out our comprehensive review of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy:
Group Stage- 21 February to 2 March
Group A
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Bangladesh India New Zealand Pakistan |
Fixtures (all matches start at 11:00):
19 February
Pakistan v New Zealand, National Bank Cricket Arena, Karachi
20 February
Bangladesh v India, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
23 February
Pakistan v India, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
24 February
Bangladesh v New Zealand, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
27 February
Pakistan v Bangladesh, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
2 March
India v New Zealand, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
Preview
Group A is dominated by sub-continent teams, with New Zealand being the only non-Asian team in the group. While Pakistan will benefit from playing at home with crowd support and knowledge of local conditions, the team’s form has been iffy of late at home, especially in test matches, and it will also have to play its match against India in Dubai. As ever, one can never know “which” Pakistan team will turn up for the tournament: a dynamic and dangerous team, or a struggling and inconsistent team. The question will be answered by batsmen such as Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha and bowlers such as Shaheen Afridi, Harris Rauf and Naseem Shah.
New Zealand has also had middling form but has proved to be capable and adaptable in subcontinent conditions, winning the recently concluded -tri-series with Pakistan and South Africa and whitewashing India in a 3-match test series. It will look to its experienced batsmen such as Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell and Tom Latham to lay a solid foundation, while captain Mitchel Santner in tow with bowlers such as Mat Henry and Will O’Rourke will aim to tie batsmen up with accurate and disciplined bowling,
India will benefit from playing all of its matches in Dubai and will be favourites to top the group and qualify for the semifinals. With world-class ODI batsmen such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer, along with experienced and successful bowlers such as Mohammad Shami and Ravindra Jadeja, most would not bet against the team qualifying for the semis. However, India has been set back somewhat by the late injury withdrawal of world no.1 bowler, Jasprit Bumrah.
Bangladesh is always a dark horse in tournaments and could thrive in conditions that are suited to its type of game. If the team hopes to compete in a tough group, its most successful players will need to step up to the plate, including wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim, batsman Mahmudullah, and bowlers Mustafizur Rahman and Mehidy Hasan Miraz.
Group B (all matches start at 11:00):
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Afghanistan Australia England South Africa |
21 February
Afghanistan v South Africa, National Bank Cricket Arena, Karachi
22 February
Australia v England, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
25 February
Australia v South Africa, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
26 February
Afghanistan v England, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
28 February
Afghanistan v Australia, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
Preview
As the reigning World Cup champions, Australia will be expected to be one of the semifinal qualifiers from Group B. However, the team has been badly impacted by a raft of injuries that have prompted withdrawals from the tournament, including key bowlers Pat Cummins (also the current captain) Josh Hazelwood and Mitchell Starc. The Aussies still boast many game-changing players, including replacement captain Steve Smith, batsman Travis Head and all-rounder Glenn Maxwell and have enjoyed recent success in subcontinent conditions.
The Proteas have not been in great ODI form in recent times, losing 6 ODIs in a row. However, none of these losses occurred with a full-strength team. With a powerful batting lineup, including powerhouse batters Heinrich Klaassen and David Miller and a versatile bowling lineup that included Kagiso Rabada, all-rounder Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj, South Africa will once again hope that the team breaks the ICC tournament curse.
Afghanistan has gone from strength to strength in recent years, with the team acquitting itself particularly well in ICC tournaments having qualified for the 2024 T20 World Cup semifinals. As a team packed with wristy batsmen such as Rahmanullah Gurbaz and wily spin bowlers such as Noor Ahmad and Rashid Khan, it could once again spring a shock or two at the 2025 Champions trophy.
England has taken a backwards step in limited overs cricket of late, but still has an experienced and dangerous team, with hard-hitting batsmen such as captain Joss Buttler and Harry Brook, the experienced Joe Root, and accomplished bowlers such as Adil Rashid and Mark Wood. It’s hard to say which England team will turn up at the Champions Trophy, and that’s what makes the side dangerous.
Knockout Stages (all matches start at 11:00)
Semi-final 1:
4 March, Winner of Group A v runner-up of Group B, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
Semi-final 2
5 March, Winner of Group B v runner-up of Group A, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
Final
9 March, 11:00 (Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore or Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai)
Get Your Cricket Game On
With 15 high-quality matches over the next 3 weeks, cricket fans have much to look forward to and to bet on! Get Your Game on and bet on all these exciting matches at www.gbets.co.za