Schedule of Champions Trophy 2025 Unveiled Amidst Challenges
The tournament's schedule and format have been finalized, with Australia's Champions Trophy campaign getting underway on February 22 with a Group B match against England, and the final scheduled for March 9, as the top-ranked teams compete in the 50-over tournament, with all matches streamed on Prime Video.
Pakistan's cricket team is gearing up for the Champions Trophy 2025, set to take place in Pakistan for the first time since 1996, with a number of challenges ahead, including a new coach, Aqib Javed, and concerns over captain Babar Azam's form, as the team prepares to face top-ranked teams in the 50-over tournament.
The team's preparations have been marred by last-minute chaos, with nine different coaches in the past six years, and the current coach being appointed just three months ago. The batting lineup is also a concern, with Saud Shakeel being promoted to the opening spot, despite not being a white-ball specialist, and the bowling lineup facing issues with Haris Rauf struggling with a side strain.
Despite these challenges, the team is capable of springing surprises, as seen in the 2017 Champions Trophy and the recent match against South Africa. The tournament promises to be unpredictable, with ODI cricket being a peripheral aspect of the sport and the unknowns of the event's duration, venue, and geopolitics adding to the excitement. Other teams, including Australia, India, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, will also be competing, each with their own goals and storylines.
The ICC Champions Trophy is a 50-over tournament featuring the top-eight ranked teams from the 2023 ODI World Cup, with Pakistan hosting the tournament and all of India's matches being held in Dubai due to political tensions between the two countries. The knockout stages will take place on March 4 and 5, with the final scheduled for March 9. All matches will be streamed on Prime Video.
As the tournament approaches, fans are eagerly awaiting the schedule of Champions Trophy 2025, which promises to be an exciting and unpredictable event, with the hosts, Pakistan, looking to prove themselves and end a drought of 7.5 years without contesting a major trophy.
