Champions Trophy 2025: Favourites to lift the trophy

India

Men in blue will play all their matches in the Dubai International Stadium and hence, they will be least exhausted with all the travelling. They have a bright chance of lifting the trophy as the side looks solid under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma. They have a perfect blend of senior experience and young blood and that factor makes them a tough contingent in the upcoming ICC Trophy. The last ICC event in ODI format was 2023 Cricket World Cup in India and the host did fairly well as they won all the league matches, however, they were outplayed in the finals. 

The team that featured in the 2023 edition will also play the Champions Trophy, with a couple of changes. All the combinations are tried and tested. Hence, India has a fair chance to win the title. Moreover, the subcontinent conditions will provide them support and give them an edge over other teams. 

Australia 

The champion team of 2023 Cricket World Cup will be the toughest contingent in the lot. Under the captaincy of Pat Cummins, the side has flourished in all the formats and One Day cricket is their forte. So, another team who has a bright chance of winning is Australia. The team looks compact and with players like Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell etc. and they hold a good balance. Their competitive nature and belligerent attitude makes them a powerhouse on the field.

New Zealand 

New Zealand has seemed to crack the subcontinent code. They whitewashed India in a test series a few months back and even outplayed Pakistan in a series. Thus, the players look quite comfortable in tackling the subcontinent challenges. However, their victory came in the longest format, but those wins in the kitty will certainly boost their confidence. However, one thing that really astonished cricket fanatics was that Mitchell Santner was picked as the skipper, despite the presence of Kane Williamson and Devon Conway in the squad. This will be the first event in which Santner will lead the national side. Hence, the team has their own set of opportunities and challenges. 

Squads for Champions Trophy 2025

India: Rohit Sharma(c), Shubhman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja 

South Africa: Temba Bavuma(c), Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mulder, Ryan Rickelton, Heinrich Klaasen, Tristan Stubbs, Kasigo Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lungi Ngidi 

Australia: Pat Cummins(c), Travis Head, Marcus Labuschagne, Matthew Short, Steven Smith, Aaron Hardie, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazelwood, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zapma

England: Jos Buttler(c), Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Smith, Philip Salt, Brydon Carse, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, Mark Wood

Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi(c), Rahmat Shah, Sediqullah Atal, Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ikram Alikhil, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmed, Naveed Zadran

New Zealand: Mitchell Santner(c), Mark Chapman, Kane Williamson, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Micheal Bracewell, Glenn Phillips, Nathan Smith, Devon Conway, Tom Latham, William ORourke, Lockie Ferguson, Ben Sears, Matt Henry

Bangladesh: Najmul Hossain Shanto(c), Soumya Sarkar, Towhid Hridoy, Tanzid Hasan, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mushfiqur Rahim, Jaker Ali, Parvez Hossain Emon, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib 

Pakistan: to be announced