India’s Hardik Pandya, right, as New Zealand’s Tim Robinson, second left, and Glenn Phillips run between the wickets during the first T20I cricket match between India and New Zealand, at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur, Maharashtra on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Pakistan will take on New Zealand in the opening match of the Champions Trophy on Wednesday, February 19, at the National Stadium in Karachi. The hosts head into the competition on the back of a 5-wicket loss to the same side in the final of a tri-nation series, also involving South Africa. Days after chasing a 350 plus target against South Africa in Karachi, Pakistan opted to bat at the same venue, but were restricted to under 250 by the Black Caps, who chased down the total without any discomfort.

The result was not only an eye opener for the Mohammad Rizwan-led side, but also highlighted Pakistan’s unpredictability as a cricketing nation.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, former India batter Aakash Chopra likened Pakistan team with their country, highlighting the inconsistency issue.

“Pakistan’s weakness is not a weakness of today. It’s a perennial weakness. Of course, they are the defending champions in the Champions Trophy, but the truth is that they get stuck under pressure. They lost to the USA in the last ICC event (2024 T20 World Cup) and didn’t qualify for the second round,” said Chopra.

However, Chopra suggested that Pakistan will be under pressure in the Champions Trophy after a recent run of poor results at ICC events.

“They are inconsistent. Their graph goes up and down. They rarely have a flat line. They are probably like their country. Their country also goes like that, up and down. The same is reflected in their cricket team. They are volatile. They are an unpredictable side. Pakistan’s middle name is unpredictable. So imploding under pressure and an unpredictable side, those are a couple of issues. Can Pakistan overcome that? That is my question mark because they will be under pressure,” he added.

Sarfaraz Khan, who led Pakistan to the Champions Trophy title in 2017, feels that the current squad looks more strong on paper his champion side.

“The team looks very strong, and playing in home conditions gives them a major advantage. They know their own grounds well, and that knowledge will play a crucial role. If you compare this team to the 2017 Champions Trophy-winning squad, this current team actually looks stronger on paper,” Sarfaraz told Cricket Pakistan.

“Babar Azam is a world-class player now. Fakhar Zaman, who was a newcomer back then, has evolved into a much more experienced player. Back in 2017, Babar was still finding his footing, but today, he is Pakistan’s top batsman on the international stage. Fakhar has also developed into a top player,” Sarfaraz stated.

India enter the Champions Trophy 2025 as one of the favourites, but the tournament may end up having extra significance for them if the words of former Indian cricketer-turned-pundit Aakash Chopra is anything to go by. Chopra has suggested that there is a strong possibility that this tournament could be the last time senior stalwarts of the side like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami play a major ICC event. All players are well over 30 years of age.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra provided good reasoning behind the thought process.

“I am saying this with a heavy heart. There is a strong possibility. The Champions Trophy is about to happen, and after that, there will be another ICC event this year, which is the WTC (World Test Championship) final. India haven’t reached there. So none among Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja will play that,” said Chopra.

“After that, the ICC event next year is the T20 World Cup but all three have retired from that format. So all three won’t play there as well,” Chopra added.

Chopra expressed uncertainty about whether the seniors would be able to play till the 2027 ODI World Cup.

“The ODI World Cup will be in 2027, which could be a bit too far. The world will look very different by 2027. I think even the players also feel this could be their last,” Chopra said.

India captain Rohit Sharma turns 38 in April 2025, whereas Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja turn 37 later this year. Mohammed Shami also turns 35 this year.

With the Indian senior core not getting any younger, Team India have already hinted at long-term leadership appointments. Jasprit Bumrah taking up Test captaincy is all but a formality, while Shubman Gill is seemingly being prepared to take over the leadership in the ODI format.

Rohit, Kohli, Jadeja and Shami were all instrumental as India dominantly reached the 2023 World Cup final, and will be hoping to play a crucial role again as they aim to win a record third Champions Trophy title.

India begin their Champions Trophy campaign on February 20 against Bangladesh, and then face Pakistan and New Zealand in the group phase.

India Squad For Champions Trophy 2025: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has identified three potential candidates for the Delhi Capitals captaincy role – Axar Patel, KL Rahul and Faf du Plessis – in the IPL 2025. He believes Axar could be the frontrunner given his recent rise in stature within Indian cricket. Delhi retained Axar for Rs 16.50 crore ahead of the mega auction last year, reflecting their faith in his abilities. They later secured KL Rahul for Rs 14 crore and Faf du Plessis for Rs 2 crore at the auction in Jeddah. Axar had a productive IPL 2024 season, picking up 11 wickets at an economy rate of 7.65 while also contributing 235 runs at a strike rate of 131.28 in 12 innings.

“I feel Delhi have three options. They have Axar Patel and KL Rahul, and they have Faf du Plessis as well. They retained Axar Patel. Bapu’s stature is growing. He has been outstanding of late. He is the Indian T20I team’s vice-captain,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

“He will play the Champions Trophy as well and has been given a very important role in the Indian ODI team. He is mature. He is brilliant. He understands the pulse of the game. He puts the team ahead of himself. So he could be a great choice.”

Chopra also highlighted KL Rahul’s leadership experience as a strong factor in his captaincy bid. “The second is KL Rahul. I feel they got him cheap. It was a steal. He has got some captaincy credentials. He has captained India, the Punjab Kings, and the Lucknow Super Giants for three years, and they qualified for two years as well. So he could be the captain,” he noted.

While discussing left-field choices, Chopra suggested that Faf du Plessis could be an option but felt Axar might ultimately be the franchise’s pick. “I think it’s going to be a close race. One has been retained, and the other has been bought. So one between the two, or else if they want to think absolutely left-field, then Faf du Plessis, who is not getting old at all. However, I have a feeling that it could be Axar,” he observed.

In another major captaincy development, Chopra expressed surprise at the appointment of Rajat Patidar as the new Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain for IPL 2025. “Rajat Patidar is RCB’s new leader. We shall find out how effective he would be. We thought it would be Kohli, but he is not. Rajat Patidar is the eighth captain. Before him, they had Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Kevin Pietersen, Daniel Vettori, Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, and Virat Kohli, who captained them for the longest time.”

While RCB have not won an IPL title, Chopra emphasised that they remain a competitive side. “Great players have captained this franchise. We measure a franchise’s success on the number of trophies they have lifted. They haven’t won even one, but it is not an unsuccessful franchise. It’s a decently successful franchise without a trophy. It’s not a team that remains at the bottom of the table or close to the wooden spoon,” he remarked.

India’s final squad for the ICC Champions Trophy, beginning from February 19, sprung a few surprises as marquee pacer Jasprit Bumrah was snubbed for the tournament due to his back injury, as Harshit Rana replaced him in the team. Opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was part of the team in the earlier roster, was dropped as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) wanted to make space for Yashasvi Jaiswal’s inclusion. The said changes, reportedly, were brough in on the recommendation of head coach Gautam Gambhir.

In total, India are now taking five spinners to Dubai for the Champions Trophy while the number of pacers in the team is only three. Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra raised quite a few valid questions as he shared his opinion on the selection of players for the ICC event.

“I thought Bumrah’s absence will force selectors to pick Siraj. Have 4 pacers in the squad. It’s also interesting to note how quickly the plan to play Yashasvi in the XI ahead of Iyer is abandoned…to the extent that Yashasvi isn’t even a part of the CT squad,” he said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

I thought Bumrah’s absence will force selectors to pick Siraj. Have 4 pacers in the squad.

It’s also interesting to note how quickly the plan to play Yashasvi in the XI ahead of Iyer is abandoned…to the extent that Yashasvi isn’t even a part of the CT squad.

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) February 12, 2025

Chopra doesn’t feel India needed five spinners for the Champions Trophy, especially keeping in mind that the team will be playing its matches in Dubai, a venue that hasn’t aides spinners statistically in recent times.

“India has picked 5 spinners for Champions Trophy. FIVE. Sharjah would be an ideal venue for this squad. Spin To Win. Dubai?? Not so sure. That surface hasn’t helped spinners as much…ever. Also, I really hope that Kuldeep isn’t benched for Varun. Play both if you must…but Kuldeep has to be India’s premier spinner,” another post from Chopra read.

India has picked 5 spinners for Champions Trophy. FIVE.

Sharjah would be an ideal venue for this squad. Spin To Win.

Dubai?? Not so sure. That surface hasn’t helped spinners as much…ever.

Also, I really hope that Kuldeep isn’t benched for Varun. Play both if you must…but…

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) February 12, 2025

Even in the batting unit, India’s squad looks a little thin with the removal of Jaiswal. Rishabh Pant, as per the playing XI for the 2nd ODI against England, remains the only ‘cover’ in the batting unit.

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has cast doubt on Yashasvi Jaiswal’s inclusion in India’s final 15-man squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy, suggesting that the young opener may no longer fit into the team’s plans. Chopra believes that with India’s batting order settling down, Jaiswal might not be needed, and Mohammed Siraj could instead be drafted in as a replacement, particularly if Jasprit Bumrah fails to recover in time.

Jaiswal, who made his ODI debut in the series opener against England in Nagpur on February 6, looked promising before falling to Jofra Archer for 15. However, with Virat Kohli returning to the XI for the second game, the 22-year-old was immediately dropped, raising questions about his role in India’s long-term plans.

Chopra, speaking on his YouTube show, stated that India’s top-order is looking stable with Rohit Sharma back in form, Shubman Gill as vice-captain, and Virat Kohli an immovable presence. He further added that Shreyas Iyer’s match-winning 59 off 36 balls in the first ODI had potentially reshaped India’s approach to squad selection.

“The batting order is looking set. Rohit has started scoring runs. Shubman Gill is our vice-captain, and he is in good form. Virat Kohli will eventually return to form. Even if he doesn’t, god forbid, India are not going to drop him,” Chopra said.

“Shreyas Iyer is at No. 4. At No. 5, whether it’s KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, or Axar Patel, the slot is settled. One of the two—Rahul and Pant—will have to be left out. And then you have an extra batter. You might not require Yashasvi Jaiswal. That’s a possibility.”

Chopra hinted that India initially wanted a left-right combination in the top order but have seemingly abandoned that approach after Iyer’s impact innings.

“You wanted to maintain a left-right combination in the batting order. Now, you won’t be able to do it. You have played your hand, and that has backfired,” he added.

With Bumrah’s availability for the Champions Trophy still uncertain, Chopra suggested that Siraj could find a way back into the squad. Siraj was not included in the ODI squad against England or the preliminary Champions Trophy squad, but his experience could be crucial if India requires three frontline fast bowlers.

“You can’t play Yashasvi. So, if you can’t play him, why take him to the Champions Trophy? I think Mohammed Siraj’s chances of playing are higher than Yashasvi Jaiswal’s,” Chopra explained.

“I see a strong chance for Mohammed Siraj to be included, especially if you feel the need for experience in the bowling attack against Pakistan. You might want to go in with three fast bowlers—Siraj could come in. Then, Yashasvi might have to make way.”

India’s strike bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who sustained a back injury during the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in January, is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. While he was named in India’s preliminary squad, his participation hinges on a final fitness assessment.

File image of Virat Kohli.© PTI

File image of Suryakumar Yadav from the India vs England T20I series© AFP

Team India have taken a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series against England, after a thrilling victory in the second game at Chennai. England’s batting did not fare well once again, with most batters apart from Jos Buttler failing to contribute big. Many of these England stars are also going to be playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, and their poor form will be a point of concern for their IPL sides. In particular, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) – who have three English batters – will be worried.

Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone and Jacob Bethell are all set to turn out for Virat Kohli‘s RCB in IPL 2025, but the batters have fared poorly so far in the ongoing T20I series. This was pointed out by former India cricketer-turned-pundit Aakash Chopra.

“Arshdeep (Singh) dismisses Phil Salt in any case. Salt got out and then Liam Livingstone got out, and I was reminded of RCB again,” Chopra said, speaking on his YouTube channel.

Salt has fallen prey to Arshdeep in the first over of both T20Is, managing 0 and 4 respectively. One of IPL 2024’s standout openers, Salt has lost a bit of form.

Livingstone also scored a duck in the first T20I and only scored 13 in the second. Meanwhile, Jacob Bethell was dropped for the second game, after scoring only 7 runs in the first.

As a result, RCB will be concerned regarding the form of their overseas stars, with IPL 2025 less than two months away.

Chopra also criticised Harry Brook, who had earlier stated that the smog in Kolkata had blurred his eyesight.

“What AQI excuse do you give, the England guys should feel ashamed. Harry Brook said after the last match that he couldn’t see the ball due to smog. The ball was visible this time but it still hit his stumps. It was a short ball, you played on the front foot and it hit your stumps. You are unable to read the ball from the hand,” Chopra said.

Brook also got out for 13, once again being dismissed by Varun Chakravarthy.

File photo of Mohammed Shami.© AFP