Weekly CRICKET Review - LXXXi | 2025 ICC Champions Trophy
Hello, fellow Cricket Enthusiasts,
You already know I am sharing a weekly wrap-up of what is happening within the Cricket community. It's the 81st edition now. After last week's post, the International Cricket is a bit silent, apart from several league matches. So, I thought to share about the upcoming big tournament, the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
Well, after 08 years, the ICC Champions Trophy is back! It will be the ninth edition, hosted by Pakistan and United Arab Emirates from 19 February to 9 March 2025.
The tournament was started in 1998, and ICC decided to cancel it after 2017, to continue only one major event per format. But once again they brought it back in 2021, from 2025.
The difference in this tournament is that only the top 08 ranked teams are playing for glory. So, here, the best 08 teams in the 2023 Cricket World Cup are qualified!
The participants - Pakistan, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, South Africa
So, this is the first time Sri Lanka has not been available, and Afghanistan has managed to secure its first appearance.
In the Group stage, the eight teams are divided into two.
Group A - Bangladesh, India, New Zealand, Pakistan
Group B - Afghanistan, Australia, England, South Africa
Each team plays with the other three, and there are 12 matches in the Group stage. Then the top two from each advanced to the Semi-Finals. So, overall there will be 15 matches with the Final.
- At the start Pakistan was the sole host, but with India refusing to travel there UAE came to the fold. And with that, the Final match will be held in either Lahore or Dubai on 9 March 2025.
- All the teams have already announced their squads with 15 members, and also with travelling reserves.
| Team | The squad |
|---|---|
| Australia | Pat Cummins (c), Alex Carey (wk), Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa |
| Afghanistan | Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Fareed Ahmad, Noor Ahmad, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rahmat Shah, Ibrahim Zadran, Naveed Zadran |
| Bangladesh | Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Jaker Ali (wk), Parvez Hossain Emon, Tanzid Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mustafizur Rahman, Nahid Rana, Thanzim Hasan Sakib, Soumya Sarkar |
| England | Jos Buttler (c, wk), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Liam Livingstone, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Phil Salt (wk), Jamie Smith (wk), Mark Wood |
| India | Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (vc), KL Rahul (wk), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah |
| New Zealand | Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway (wk), Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham (wk), Daryl Mitchell, William O'Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young |
| Pakistan | Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Tayyab Tahir, Mohammad Rizwan (c, wk), Usman Khan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed, Naseem Shah, Abbas Afridi, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf |
| South Africa | Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen |
2025 ICC Champions Trophy squads
Pakistan is the defending champion winning the 2017 tournaments. India and Australia have won it twice. South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies have won one time. The 2002 ICC Champions Trophy was special as India and Sri Lanka shared the trophy with rain interrupting the final twice.
So, it will be a thrilling and entertaining encounter with the best ODI teams in the world. Who are you betting on?
Leave a comment with your prediction, for the semi-finalsists, Finalists, winner, highest run scorer, highest wicket-taker, and the man of the series.
Now this is what the WTC table looks like.
2023–2025 ICC World Test Championship points table
- 2025 ICC Champions Trophy
- Pakistan tour of South Africa, 2024 -25
- Big Bash League 2024-25
- Bangladesh Premier League, 2024-25
- SA20, 2025
So, that's it for today!! Until the next time! Enjoy!
Thank you.
Best Regards!