The Champions Trophy returns after an exile of eight years with the defending champions Pakistan set to host an ICC event after 29 years. The context is starkely different this time around with questions around the ODI format’s relevance but the competition is expected to be fierce.
It’s less than nine months later, a men’s ICC event is back this time with the Champions Trophy breaking its banishment to return after a gap of eight long years. While the Champions Trophy will return for the first time since 2017, an ICC event will be held in Pakistan for the first time since 1996 even though India won’t be playing their games in the neighbouring country. Even though the 2023 Cricket World Cup reiterated that ODI cricket is still a format that can be advertised and is thrilling and sellable but it is still trying to float above the sea level amid all the focus on T20s and Tests.
So, eight teams, two groups of four each, 12 first-round matches and boom, you have the knockouts. It is a quick fast-paced mini World Cup sort of an event and probably why ICC felt the need to bring it back after putting in the cold storage once the World Test Championship came into being. The defending champions Pakistan begin the tournament against a familiar opposition in New Zealand and are in the group alongside India and Bangladesh while Australia, England, South Africa and Afghanistan find themselves together slotted in the second group.
With the injuries affecting probably every team, the combinations and best XIs have gone for a toss but still there will be enough quality players on show to produce what could be exciting three weeks in the sub-continent.
When and where to watch Champions Trophy 2025 live on TV and OTT in India?
All 15 Champions Trophy matches will begin at 2:30 PM IST, even though the start time differs in Pakistan (2 PM local) and Dubai (1 PM local). The Champions Trophy will be live broadcast on Star Sports 2, Star Sports 2 HD, Sports18 1, Sports18 1 HD and Sports18 Khel channels on TV in India. The India matches will be live on Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1 Hindi channels. The live streaming of the tournament will be available on the JioHotstar app and website.
Squads
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Non-Travelling Reserves: Shivam Dube, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj
Bangladesh: Nazmul Hossain Shanto (c), Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, MD Mahmud Ullah, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain Emon, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young, Jacob Duffy
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi
Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Malik, Naveed Zadran
Reserves: Darwish Rasooli, Bilal Sami
England: Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood
Australia: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa
Travelling reserve: Cooper Connolly.
South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Corbin Bosch
Travelling reserve: Kwena Maphaka
