The ICC Champions Trophy will be the first big-ticket event of 2025, with the tournament making its re-entry to the ICC calendar for the first time since 2017; and former all-rounder Irfan Pathan has "high hopes" from the Indian team.
After India's triumphant T20 World Cup campaign in Barbados last June, this will be another chance for Rohit Sharma's team to bag an ICC trophy. Rohit, along with Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, quit T20Is last year.
ALSO WATCH "Team India can (win the trophy) because if you look at the white-ball team, it is pretty much settled. To add to that, there are a couple of young gun players that can be added as well. One of them is Nitish Kumar Reddy. That will only make the team stronger. Plenty of options. Bowling will be very crucial. The hopes are very high," Irfan said in a video posted by Star Sports on X.
India's previous Champions Trophy campaign ended in disappointment when they lost to Pakistan in the final.
With the competition set to begin in just over a month's time (from February 19), Irfan maintains optimism about India's prospects of claiming the title.
The tournament will be hosted in a hybrid format, with India playing all their matches in Dubai. Pakistan is the official host nation of the tournament. The highly anticipated clash between previous edition's finalists, India and Pakistan, is set for February 23 in Dubai.
The tournament will feature eight teams competing in 15 matches, with venues split between Pakistan (Rawalpindi, Karachi, Lahore) and Dubai.
India and Pakistan are in Group A along with New Zealand and Bangladesh. Group B comprises South Africa, Australia, Afghanistan and England.
The final is scheduled for March 9 in Lahore, but will shift to Dubai if India advance to the final. Both semifinals and the final have been allocated reserve days.
Stay tuned for the IND vs AUS Live Score and follow real-time match updates. Get the latest Cricket Live Score and stay ahead with every ball.The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the ...
Read MoreThe TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide.
From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more.
The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics.
We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects.
We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.
Read Less
Start a Conversation
Post comment