The tournament, scheduled from February 19 to March 9, 2025, will be hosted by Pakistan and the UAE
19 January, 2025
PHOTO: FILE
Former Indian cricket captain Sunil Gavaskar has backed Pakistan to win the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, pointing out their advantage of playing in familiar conditions at home.
The tournament, scheduled from February 19 to March 9, 2025, will be hosted by Pakistan and the UAE. Gavaskar highlighted the challenge of beating a team in their home environment and said this would work in Pakistan's favor.
“The tag of favorites should be given to the home team, Pakistan, as it’s not easy to beat any team in their home conditions,” Gavaskar stated in an interview.
He also mentioned India’s strong form in the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they reached the final after winning ten consecutive matches, despite losing in the final.
The Champions Trophy will feature eight teams divided into two groups. Group A includes Pakistan, India, New Zealand, and Bangladesh, while Group B consists of Afghanistan, South Africa, England, and Australia.
The tournament will have 15 matches played across three venues in Pakistan – Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi – and one in Dubai.
The opening match will see Pakistan face New Zealand in Karachi on February 19. Cricket fans are eagerly awaiting the high-stakes match between Pakistan and India, which is set to take place on February 23 in Dubai.
Apart from the hosts, all seven participating teams have already announced their squads, with India being the latest to finalize their lineup.
