The ICC Champions Trophy is missed after its iteration in the year 2017 and this one is for the year 2025 will be a toss between the top-ranked ODI teams. This is a rundown of all that you need to know about the tournament.
Host and Venue
The ninth ICC Champions Trophy will be hosted by Pakistan. This marks an important tournament for Pakistan, which will utilize three main stadiums:
- Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore
- National Stadium in Karachi
- One of the ground is Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi
These venues are expected to provide a plenty of exciting fixtures as India-Pakistan cricket series expects to start on March 1, 2025, in Lahore. The tournament series will end on March 9 and final will also be held in Gaddafi Stadium.
Tournament Schedule and Dates
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is to start on February 21 and end on March 9. The tournament will begin with group-stage matches, followed by a knockout stage featuring the top two teams from each group:
- Group Stage Matches: February 21 – March 2, 2025
- Semi-Finals: March 5 and March 6, 2025
- Final: March 9, 2025
In the set up there will be six teams, and each team will play three group-stage matches and the best two teams in each of the groups will qualify to the semi-finals.
Qualified Teams
The eight qualified teams for the Champions Trophy 2025 include:
- India
- Australia
- South Africa
- New Zealand
- Pakistan (host)
- Afghanistan
- England
- Bangladesh
These teams have qualified for the World Cup based on their rank in the 2023 ODI World Cup and since Pakistan was awarded the right to host the tournament, it was an automatic qualifier for this tournament. The teams in this selection need mention are the past champions and some other teams who have been improving their standards such as Afghanistan.
India’s Squad and Key Players
India is likely to unleash its best team which is supposed to be full of stars who have performed brilliantly in the recently concluded international events. Looking at the line up, the captain Rohit Sharma is expected to be supported by the big guns like Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandaya and the best bowling sensation in the world Jasprit Bumrah. India’s team will be a blend of young blood and experience as it targets the Champions Trophy trophy for the third times having clinched the event in 2013 under the leadership of MS Dhoni.
ఛాంపియన్స్ ట్రోఫీని ఐసీసీ రద్దు చేసే యోచనలో ఉన్నట్లు తెలుస్తోంది. పాక్ వెళ్లేందుకు భారత్ నిరాకరించడంతో షెడ్యూల్ లో ఇబ్బందులు తలెత్తగా రద్దు లేదా వాయిదా వేసేందుకు సిద్ధమైనట్లు సమాచారం.
— RTV (@RTVnewsnetwork) November 10, 2024
Read More>>https://t.co/gmWCFmg18M#ChampionsTrophy2025 #IccChampionsTrophy #canceled #RTV
Key Fixtures to Watch
India vs Pakistan: This one on March 1, 2025 is one of the much-awaited contests, when two arch foes will come face to face on Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Semi-Finals: The two play-off-semifinals will be played on March 5 in Karachi and March 6 in Rawalpindi for having a berth in the finals.
Final: The grand finale is set for March 9, 2025 in Lahore: The champions trophy winner will be crowned.
Tournament Format
In the group stage, there will be a round-robin mechanism will be applied divided in two groups. The four teams that are on the top of the Groups will move towards the knockout stage. This makes the format interesting as every match counts and each team has put up maximum efforts to clinch through
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Venue and Conditions
Pakistan’s venues are Encyclopedia Pitches range from Lahore where pitches have always favored the batsmen to Karachi and Rawalpindi where the playing conditions are somewhat bowl-friendly. This variety will challenge each team and frequently the playing personnel that may not have experienced subcontinental wickets for their respective teams. Top spinning bowlers should come into play, especially in the middle periods of an innings to take advantage of the conditions that should develop at the grounds.
Recently, New Demand by Indian Team for Hybrid Model Due to Security!
The Indian cricket team has allegedly demanded the hybrid format in the Champions Trophy 2025 because of the security issues in Pakistan to stage the games. This proposed model is like the Asia Cup 2023 setup where India gets to play its matches at a venue other than Pakistan. The BCCI for example has raised issues of security of its players and wanted the tournament to take a hybrid format because that way India can participate without necessarily exposing its players to the danger of touring Pakistan.
This demand has led to debate in the ICC corridors with officials arguing as to whether the hybrid model can be implemented for the Champions Trophy format. Despite the uncertainty of this occurrence authorized by the ICC, the hybrid model might affect the tournament format and organization. The apprehensions of the Indian board are actually rooted in diplomatic rivalry between the two countries which makes this already expected tournament a bit more complicated.