With only a few days left until the start of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, every team is hoping for a strong start to the tournament. Over the past few weeks, teams have been actively engaged in white-ball cricket to finalize their preparations.
New Zealand’s Strong Preparations
New Zealand has prepared impressively for the mega event, winning a tri-series against host Pakistan and South Africa. Kane Williamson displayed remarkable form, scoring a brilliant century while chasing against South Africa and contributing a crucial half-century in the opening win against Pakistan. Glenn Phillips scored an unbeaten 106 off 74 balls, while Daryl Mitchell also made two fifties during the series.
Pakistan’s Key Performances
From Pakistan’s side, Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha scored outstanding centuries against South Africa. Meanwhile, South Africa’s Matthew Breetzke had a dream start to his international career, scoring 150 and 83 in his two innings.
India’s Dominant Form
India showcased dominant form in their recent white-ball series against England, winning the T20I series 4-1 and then sweeping the ODI series 3-0. Shubman Gill stood out with 259 runs at an average of 86.33, including a brilliant century in the third ODI. In that match, India posted 356 runs while batting first and won by 142 runs. Shreyas Iyer also batted brilliantly, while captain Rohit Sharma’s century in the second ODI is seen as a return to form.
“As the countdown to the Champions Trophy 2025 continues, teams are working tirelessly to find the right combinations”
In the bowling department, Ravindra Jadeja took six wickets at an average of 10, while Adil Rashid claimed seven wickets overall. After this successful run, India has headed to the UAE, where they will play their opening match against Bangladesh.
Afghanistan’s Steady Rise
Afghanistan has shown promising performances in the recent ODI series. After winning against Zimbabwe in December, they defeated Bangladesh 2-1 in Sharjah. The Afghan squad has already arrived in Pakistan and is set to play a warm-up match against New Zealand on February 16.
Bangladesh’s Struggles and Home Advantage
Following their defeat to Afghanistan, Bangladesh also lost a 3-0 ODI series against the West Indies in the Caribbean. However, they remain hopeful for better results in familiar South Asian conditions.
Australia’s Challenges
Australia, set to play the Champions Trophy without several key players, recently suffered a 2-0 ODI series defeat to Sri Lanka. Their batters struggled in both matches in Colombo, although bowlers like Spencer Johnson, Aaron Hardie, Sean Abbott, and Nathan Ellis delivered some impressive performances in the opening game.
As the countdown to the Champions Trophy 2025 continues, teams are working tirelessly to find the right combinations and hit top form just in time for the big stage.
