Two-time winners Australia will be on a quest to regain the Champions Trophy title after a gap of 15 years. They had won back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2009 but have failed to reach the finals in the 2013 and 2017 editions, after which the event was discontinued. For the 2025 edition, the reigning 50-over World Cup winners are placed in the four-team Group B which also includes England, South Africa, and Afghanistan. Australia will open their campaign with a clash with arch-rivals England at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on February 22.

Be seized by injuries, Australia will be hoping to come out unscathed from the league phase and go into the semifinals without losing a single match. But it could be easier said than done for the depleted squad that is missing five first-team players as they found out in losing 0-2 to Sri Lanka in the ODI series after blanking the hosts in two Tests in Galle.

With the Champions Trophy set to start on February 19 with a match between host Pakistan and New Zealand, Australia will be looking to overcome a slew of setbacks in recent times to go all the way. Here’s an IANS SWOT analysis for Australia’s campaign in mega event.

Strengths: With proven white-ball experts like Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne and Glenn Maxwell in their ranks, Australia have a strong batting line-up. Steve Smith returns as captain, substituting for regular skipper Pat Cummins who is recuperating from an injury. They have brought in some young turks, who would be eager to prove themselves. In Adam Zampa, they have a spinner capable of exploiting the conditions offered in Pakistan. With the addition of leggie Tanveer Sangha and some young fast bowlers, Steve Smith’s Australia will be hoping to put up a strong fight in every match.

Weaknesses: The inexperienced bowling attack could prove their achilles heel in the absence of Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and pace-bowling all-rounders Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis, who quit cricket recently. Sean Abbott and Ben Dwarshuis, along with Nathan Ellis and Aaron Hardie will be hoping to breach the gaps left by the absence of experienced fast bowlers. Their batting looks more balanced than their bowling attack and that derails them in crucial matches against strong and better-balanced sides.

Opportunities: With the infusion of young blood to make up for the loss of exceptional campaigners, Australia come into the Champions Trophy with confidence in their domestic structure that regularly produces world-class players. Despite being battered by injuries, Australian players have the pedigree and skillset to overcome setbacks. Teams can’t afford to underestimate Australia, as they have players that can turn things around on their own on any given day.

Threat: The major task for Smith and the Australian team management will be to put on the field a strong side with the right balance of experienced and young players. The first challenge for them will be to win the group, as that would allow them to avoid the in-form side from the other group in the semifinal. In England, they have an opponent that has been battered by India in the recent white-ball series. South Africa too have been weakened by injuries to some key players, while Afghanistan is capable of surprising any team on their day.

Australia will have to put their best foot forward in each match if they have to go all the way. They can’t afford to make a lot of mistakes.

Punjab Kings Schedule IPL 2025: Punjab Kings (PBKS) entered the Indian Premier League 2025 mega auction with the highest purse and have made some significant purchases heading into the new season. Shreyas Iyer, who won the IPL with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) last year, will be leading PBKS this year after being bought for Rs 26.75 crore in the mega auction. Yuzvendra Chahal and Arshdeep Singh were the other big Indian buys, while the purchases of Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and Marco Jansen add explosive overseas firepower. Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh were retained by the franchise.

Here is Punjab Kings’ IPL 2025 schedule in full:

25 March: GT vs PBKS – Ahmedabad – 7:30 PM IST

1 April: LSG vs PBKS – Lucknow – 7:30 PM IST

5 April: PBKS vs RR – New Chandigarh – 7:30 PM IST

8 April: PBKS vs CSK – New Chandigarh – 7:30 PM IST

12 April: SRH vs PBKS – Hyderabad – 7:30 PM IST

15 April: PBKS vs KKR – New Chandigarh – 7:30 PM IST

18 April: RCB vs PBKS – Bengaluru – 7:30 PM IST

20 April: PBKS vs RCB – New Chandigarh – 3:30 PM IST

26 April: KKR vs PBKS – Kolkata – 7:30 PM IST

30 April: CSK vs PBKS – Chennai – 7:30 PM IST

4 May: PBKS vs LSG – Dharamshala – 7:30 PM IST

8 May: PBKS vs DC – Dharamshala – 7:30 PM IST

11 May: PBKS vs MI – Dharamshala – 3:30 PM IST

16 May: RR vs PBKS – Jaipur – 7:30 PM IST

PBKS IPL 2025 Squad: Shashank Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, Arshdeep Singh (Rs. 18 crore), Shreyas Iyer (Rs. 26.75 crore), Yuzvendra Chahal (Rs. 18 crore), Marcus Stoinis (Rs. 11 crore), Glenn Maxwell (Rs. 4.20 crore), Nehal Wadhera (Rs. 4.20 crore), Harpreet Brar (Rs. 1.50 crore), Vishnu Vinod (Rs. 95 lakh), Vijaykumar Vyshak (Rs. 1.80 crore), Yash Thakur (Rs. 1.60 crore), Marco Jansen (Rs. 7 crore), Josh Inglis (Rs. 2.60 crore), Lockie Ferguson (Rs. 2 crore), Azmatullah Omarzai (Rs. 2.40 crore), Harnoor Pannu (Rs. 30 lakh), Kuldeep Sen (Rs. 80 lakh), Priyansh Arya (Rs. 3.80 crore), Aaron Hardie (Rs. 1.25 crore), Musheer Khan (Rs. 30 lakh), Suryansh Shedge (Rs. 30 lakh), Xavier Bartlett (Rs. 80 lakh), Pyla Avinash (Rs. 30 lakh), Pravin Dubey (Rs. 30 lakh).

Australian cricket might have dominated ICC events, winning the most trophies, but Indian cricket is arguably considered the breadwinner for the sport. Over the last two decades, Indian cricket has grown leaps and bounds, challenging the Aussies and other top nations on every front. The Board of Control for Cricket In India (BCCI) has played a big role in Indian cricket’s rise. In the form of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the BCCI has also given the cricket world a top franchise-based T20 league. Hence, even when Australian cricketers were asked about their views on the India board, they only had good things to say.

In a video shared on social media, a few Australian cricketers were asked to define the BCCI, the ICC, and Indian cricket as a whole in one word each. Some epic responses were received.

Order of responses: BCCI, ICC, Indian cricket

Pat Cummins: Big, Big, Big

Travis Head: Rulers, second, strong

Usman Khawaja: Strong, ICC, Talented

Nathan Lyon: Big, Boss, Passionate

Glenn Maxwell: Powerful, Boss, Fanatic

Matthew Carey: Powerful, Trophy, Powerful

Steve Smith: Powerhouse, not as powerful (changes it to leaders)

Describe the BCCI, the ICC and Indian cricket in one word….

Don’t worry everyone, Smudge was just jokin! pic.twitter.com/AxJZJT15P8

— ABC SPORT (@abcsport) December 23, 2024

The likes of Head and Smith arguably gave the most intriguing responses. While Head didn’t budge on his verdict, Smith decided to change his response later, calling the first one ‘a joke’.

Indian and Australian teams are locked in a 5-match Test series at present, with the scores being 1-1 after the first three matches. While India won the opening Test in Perth, Australia bounced back to win the contest between the bat and the ball in Adelaide. The two teams are next set to square off in Melbourne, with the match starting on December 26.

Ricky Ponting and Punjab Kings (PBKS) splashed out over Rs 110 crore in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction, and made three of the five biggest purchases of the two-day event. Shreyas Iyer was bought for Rs 26.75 crore, while Yuzvendra Chahal and Arshdeep Singh each received Rs 18 cr. However, another aspect of PBKS’ auction strategy was signing as many as five Australian players in their squad, with Ponting probably having a large say in the matter. Ponting defended the decision to pick so many Australians.

Punjab Kings bought all-rounders Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell, wicket-keeper batter Josh Inglis, all-rounder Aaron Hardie and pacer Xavier Bartlett in the IPL 2025 mega auction.

“I’ll probably get some criticism. I think we have got five Aussies out of our complement of eight overseas,” admitted Ponting after the auction.

“But when you look at the slots that we needed, the players that we have got fitted into those roles perfectly,” Ponting stated.

Three of the Australians – Stoinis, Maxwell and Inglis – are likely to form a major part of PBKS’ first XI as well, given their all-round and wicket-keeping abilities respectively. Stoinis was the most expensive of the lot, fetching Rs 11 crore in the auction.

“To have Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell back to Kings is huge as they have both played here in the past. A couple of new guys, including Xavier Bartlett, Aaron Hardie, and Josh Inglis, are coming into the IPL for the first time, which is also really exciting for us,” Ponting added.

Punjab Kings – back then known as Kings XI Punjab – was Stoinis’ very first IPL franchise, between 2016 and 2018. On the other hand, Maxwell will don the Punjab Kings red for a third spell in his career.

Maxwell also won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award when Punjab played the IPL final (and last qualified for the playoffs) in 2014.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction saw some stunning steal deals unfold over two days in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Franchises had to spend big in order to buy coveted stars like Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Venkatesh Iyer, etc. on Day 1. But on the second day, some big bargains unfolded as franchises landed some established stars from the auction pool, while others simply didn’t have the money left to go all-in. Some of the top players franchises were lucky to sign for a bargain price includes the names of Washington Sundar, Glenn Maxwell, Quinton de Kock, etc.

Glenn Maxwell: Though the Australian all-rounder’s form is mostly the flip of a coin, the franchise putting its money on him can’t really be sure which Maxwell would turn up in a particular season. Maxwell was released by Royal Challengers Bengaluru ahead of the mega auction after a flop IPL 2024 campaign. With form not helping his case in the mega auction, Punjab Kings snapped Maxwell up for a cut-price deal of Rs 4 crore.

Tim David: Another Australia in the list, only a couple of years ago, David was being seen as one of the finest middle-order batters in the world, when it comes to the shortest format. But a poor run of form saw his stock decline. Royal Challengers Bengaluru, having let go of Maxwell, decided to replace him by signing David from the auction. He only cost INR 3 crore.

Adam Zampa: There’s no stopping Australian in the list, with spinner Adam Zampa slotting in at the No. 3 spot. With 341 wickets across 280 T20 games, Zampa is one of the top spinners in white-ball cricket at present. Though he hasn’t been able to replicate the same impact in the IPL, Sunrisers Hyderabad would be hopeful of that change as Zampa wears the orange shirt under the captaincy of his compatriot Pat Cummins. He was signed for just Rs 2.40 crore.

Quinton de Kock: One of the most fearsome opening batters in the game, De Kock was snapped up by Kolkata Knight Riders for a stunningly low fee of INR 3.60 crore. Landing a player who has scored 3,157 runs in 107 IPL matches, including two centuries, is a bargain that the KKR management would be immensely proud of.

Washington Sundar: Topping the charts is India all-rounder Washington Sundar. When Sundar was released by the Sunrisers Hyderabad, he was expected to cost somewhere around INR 10 crore in the auction. But, the spin-bowling all-rounder only cost Gujarat Titans Rs. 3.20 crore. With a T20 international record of 47 wickets from 52 matches and an economy rate of 6.87, Sundar is arguably the smartest buy of the auction.

Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has hailed Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah as potentially the “best fast bowler of all time,” emphasising his “unique action” and unplayable deliveries. Bumrah, who led the Indian team in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth, excelled as both captain and bowler. He picked up eight wickets, including a first-innings five-wicket haul, to guide his team to a commanding 295-run victory over Australia. Speaking on The Grade Cricketer podcast, Maxwell noted that Bumrah’s greatness extends beyond wicket tallies when discussing his place among the ‘greatest of all time’ (GOAT).

“Bumrah is going to go down as potentially the best fast bowler of all time. It might not be about the number of wickets he takes across formats, but for the players who have faced him, it’s incredibly difficult. He has such a unique action and an extraordinary ability with the ball. He’s the complete package,” said Maxwell.

“He can move the ball both ways, rush you with pace, and beat you on the inside and outside edges. Plus, he has an effective slower ball,” he added.

Bumrah’s stellar performance saw him climb to the number one spot in the ICC Test Bowler Rankings. His match-winning effort also earned him the ‘Player of the Match’ award, and he surpassed South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada and Australia’s Josh Hazlewood to reclaim his place as the top-ranked bowler in Test cricket.

Earlier this year, Bumrah rose to the top of the rankings following a nine-wicket haul against England in February. He briefly reclaimed the position in October after solid performances against Bangladesh before Rabada overtook him.

In 41 Tests, Bumrah has taken 181 wickets at an impressive average of 20.06, with best figures of 6/27 and 11 five-wicket hauls. His Test record in Australia is particularly remarkable, with 40 wickets at an average of 18.80, including two five-wicket hauls and best figures of 6/33.

At home, Bumrah has claimed 47 wickets at an average of 17.19, with best figures of 6/45, including two five-wicket hauls. Away from home, he has been dominant, taking 134 wickets at an average of 20.38. Of his nine five-wicket hauls in foreign conditions, seven have come in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia), the most by any Indian bowler.

Bumrah’s overall international record is equally impressive, with 419 wickets in 200 matches at an average of 20.80, including 13 five-wicket hauls. He has also excelled in ICC tournaments, taking 38 wickets in 20 ODI World Cup games and securing the ‘Player of the Tournament’ honour in India’s triumphant ICC T20 World Cup campaign earlier this year. In that tournament, he took 15 wickets at an average of 8.26 with an economy rate of 4.17.

The second Test of the five-match series, a day-night pink-ball encounter, is scheduled to begin on December 6 at Adelaide.

Australia vs Pakistan 2nd T20I© AFP

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Australia vs Pakistan LIVE Streaming 2nd T20I Live Telecast© AFP

Glenn Maxwell is a different beast altogether in limited overs cricket. One aspect of his batting that stands out from the rest is the Australian star’s prowess to generate outlandish shots that is beyond most batters. The same was was visible during Australia 1st T20I against Pakistan in Brisbane. During the match, Maxwell showcased glimpses of form that make him one of the most feared cricketers in the world, scoring 43 in just 19 balls, with five boundaries and three sixes. His runs came at a strike rate of 226.31.  

Social media went berserk after the shots.

Fewest balls taken for 10000 T20 runs

6505 – Glenn Maxwell*

6640 – Kieron Pollard

6705 – Chris Gayle

6774 – Alex Hales

6928 – Jos Buttler

7025 – Colin Munro #AUSvPAK #AUSvsPAK pic.twitter.com/ln8eFcIx1D

— Rohit Baliyan (@rohit_balyan) November 14, 2024

#Australia‘s #GlennMaxwell was onform against #Pakistan in the 1st T20I!

Each shot to the boundary line was just amazing to witness!

Catch the action #AUSvPAKonStar #Australia #Pakistan 2nd T20I, SAT, NOV 16, at 1:30 PM only on Star Sports 1 HD! pic.twitter.com/b2OIsB4hiB

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) November 14, 2024

Maxi roaring against so called pakistani legend blowers!!

Moye Moye pakistan cricket!

Glenn Maxwell the name but in RCB he was always crying!#PAKvsAUS | #AUSvsPAK

pic.twitter.com/YuhCyxDdGi

— ItsFact (@ItsFact01) November 14, 2024

Star Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell completed 10,000 runs in T20 cricket, becoming only the third Australian and overall 16th player to do so. Maxwell accomplished this feat during his side’s first T20I of the three-match series against Pakistan at Brisbane.

Now in 448 matches and 421 innings, Maxwell has scored 10,031 runs at an average of 27.70, with seven centuries and 54 fifties. His best score in the format is 154*.

Maxwell is only the third Australian to reach the 10,000 run mark in T20s, with former openers David Warner (12,411 runs) and Aaron Finch (11,458 runs) being the other two.

In 114 T20Is for Australia, Maxwell has scored 2,643 runs at an average of 30.03 and a strike rate of 155.56, with five centuries, the most in the T20Is by a player and 11 fifties. His best score is 145*.

This year has been underwhelming for Maxwell as a batter, scoring just 423 runs in 19 innings at an average of 24.88 and a strike rate of over 156, with a century and a fifty to his name. His best score is 120*.

Coming to the match, the first T20I at Brisbane was cut short due to rain. Pakistan won the toss and opted to bowl first. Australia posted 93/4 in seven overs, with Maxwell (43 in 19 balls, with five boundaries and three sixes) and Marcus Stoinis (21* in seven balls, with two fours and a six) standing out with the bat.

Abbas Afridi (2/9) was the standout bowler for Pakistan while Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah got a wicket each.

with ANI inputs