Former cricketers make their predictions for Champions Trophy 2025 semi finalists.
Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan has predicted the Men in Blue to go all the way and clinch the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy title. The two-time winners led by skipper Rohit Sharma will begin their campaign against Bangladesh on February 20 before taking on Pakistan (February 23) and New Zealand (March 2).
“I can’t look past India. I am quite confident,” the 2013 Champions Trophy winner told ICC.
Dhawan, however, said that pacer Jasprit Bumrah’s absence due to injury will hurt India.
“They have a solid team and played very well against England in their recent ODI series. The obvious concern is that they will miss Jasprit Bumrah. There is no doubt he will be a big absence and I think they will feel it very strongly,” he added.
Other former cricketers including Kevin Pietersen and Suresh Raina also gave their predictions for the Champions Trophy. Pietersen predicted Pakistan, India, England, and Australia to make the semi-finals.
“Pakistan who are hosting the tournament, India, England and I want to go Australia,” he said on Star Sports.
Raina had a different opinion.
“India, Australia, South Africa and Afghanistan,” added India’s southpaw.
Murali Vijay also predicted a similar lineup of semi-finalists.
“My top four prediction for the Champions Trophy this season is going to be India, Pakistan, Australia and South Africa,” he said.
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Former England cricketer Nasser Hussain noted that Australia lack firepower without their pace trio of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc. This is why, Nasser has gone with India as the team to beat.
“I did something for the ICC about six weeks ago and I had Australia as favourites but take five players out of that team – Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh, and Marcus Stoinis – and that is a serious loss. They have gone back into the pack a little bit and I now have India as the team to beat, albeit they are without possibly the best player on the planet right now in Jasprit Bumrah. They play all their games in Dubai, know the conditions and won’t have to travel. On paper, they are the best side now,” he said on Sky Sports.
National teammate Michael Atherton also agreed with Nasser.
“Like Nasser, I think India being based in Dubai will help them massively. Spin looks like it is going to be a really strong point of their game in the absence of Bumrah – I am also not sure Mohammed Shami is absolutely back to his best yet either – and you would think it would be more effective in the UAE than Pakistan. But you also look at their strength in depth. If they can leave out a player like Yashasvi Jaiswal, who would probably get in any other squad in the world, it shows how much talent they have,” added the 56-year-old.
India will begin their quest for a third Champions Trophy title with a Group A match against Bangladesh in Dubai on February 20.
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