WHO: Pakistan vs India
What: ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Where: Dubai International Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
When: Sunday, February 23, 13:00 (09:00 GMT)
Follow Al Jazeera’s live coverage here.
Host nation – and second favorite – Pakistan will face the team expected to win the tournament, India, at the Champions Cup on Sunday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
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The match is arguably the biggest match in world sport, with the two rival countries attracting huge television audiences and global attention from every corner of the globe.
As always, there is a lot at stake beyond the bitter rivalry between the two giants of cricket and neighboring countries, with Pakistan suffering a defeat by 60 runs in their opening match against New Zealand on Wednesday. India, on the other hand, opened with a six-wicket win over Bangladesh on Thursday.
Why don’t India play their matches in Pakistan?
All India matches will be played in the UAE and not in Pakistan, the host country of the 2025 edition. The move comes after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) reached an agreement with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Pakistan under which both countries will host all ICC events held in either country at neutral venues until 2027.
When was the last time Pakistan hosted a major tournament?
International cricket in Pakistan has been severely restricted in recent years following a militant attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team’s bus in Lahore in 2009, which left six players injured.
Following the attack, Pakistan’s top teams shunned it and the Champions Trophy became the first major global tournament to be held in the country in nearly 30 years. The last time Pakistan hosted a global game was in 2006 at the Cricket World Cup, which they co-hosted with India.
Why are defending champions Pakistan not favourites?
Pakistan won the last Champions Cup by beating India in the final in 2017, but the beaten finalists have been favorites for the tournament since then due to their consistency.
Pakistan has key match-winning players such as Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi, both former captains, but the country’s tendency to explode at any stage of any match and any series has led to a reputation that precedes them.
Off-field turbulence also remains a huge obstacle: Gary Kirsten was appointed white-ball coach last year, but he soon left and was replaced by then Test match coach Jason Gillespie. The former Australian fast bowler soon followed his South African predecessor into retirement – both proving popular figures among the players.
A hard-fought opening defeat to New Zealand highlighted how much Pakistan will have to overcome to lift the trophy on home soil.
Why are India favorites to win the Champions Trophy?
In the first match against Bangladesh, India put in a better effort than expected. Tohid Hridoy’s century should have only delayed the inevitable, but without Shubman Gill’s century to haunt 229, India could have been in serious trouble.
Rohit Sharma’s team reached the final of the last ICC One-Day International where they were defeated by Australia in the 2023 Cricket World Cup. The defeat was difficult for the players and their fans to take, especially since it happened on home soil in Ahmedabad.
Victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup softened the blow to some extent, but a Champions Trophy win, depriving host nation and rival Pakistan of back-to-back crowns, would be a welcome comeback for Rohit’s men.
What are the records of Pakistan and India in the Champions Trophy?
Pakistan’s victory in the final over India in 2017 is their only triumph in the competition. India has won the Champions Cup twice – in 2002 and 2013.
Form Guide – Pakistan
The opening defeat to New Zealand marked the third straight loss to the New Zealanders after two defeats in the pre-tournament tri-series with South Africa. However, Pakistan have been in surprisingly good form on the road in the tournament, so perhaps the match in Dubai will help. The Men in Green have won their last three bilateral ODI series. The highlight was the 2-1 win over world champions Australia, but the 3-0 win by the formidable South African team cannot be underestimated.
Form Guide – India
India’s dominance in ODIs has recently declined following a 2-0 defeat in the three-match series against Sri Lanka in August last year. It was their last series before touring England earlier this month.
The 3-0 series win was a huge blow for England but gave a huge boost to the Men in Blue’s confidence ahead of the tournament, as did Gill’s display in the opening match against Bangladesh.
Last five ODI matches
- Pakistan: VLVLL
- India: LWWWW
Pakistan team news
Pakistan’s Champions Trophy hopes were dented not only by Wednesday’s defeat to New Zealand but also by Fakhar Zaman’s injury late in the tournament.
The opening batter bravely moved towards the middle in an attempt to help Virat Kohli and his team in the chase, but a pectoral muscle injury clearly hampered the 34-year-old, who was ruled out of a return to the team during this edition.
His place in the detachment was taken by Imam-ul-Haq.
Team India news
India are likely to remain unchanged from the team that beat Bangladesh in the first match. The rotating trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel will be featured on a tweaker-friendly surface in Dubai.
Harshit Rana got the edge over Arshdeep Singh by replacing the injured Jasprit Bumrah on opening night with Mohammed Shami. India is expected to take this decision again.
Pakistan national team
Squad: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Babar Azam, Fakhhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Fahim Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Nazim Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi
Team India
Squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, K.L. Rahul (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakravarty.