Who: Pakistan vs India
What: ICC Champions Trophy 2025
The place: Dubai Worldwide Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
When: Sunday, February 23 at 1pm (09:00 GMT)
Comply with Al Jazeera‘s stay textual content and photograph commentary stream of the match.
The host nation – and second favourites – Pakistan face the team tipped to win the tournament, India, on the Champions Trophy on Sunday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The match is arguably the biggest fixture in world sport with the 2 rival nations drawing big tv audiences and basic consideration from all components of the globe.
As ever, there may be lots at stake, past the fierce rivalry between the 2 cricketing giants and neighbouring nations, with Pakistan defeated by 60 runs of their opening match towards New Zealand on Wednesday. India, conversely, opened with a six-wicket win against Bangladesh on Thursday.
Why are India not taking part in their matches in Pakistan?
All of India’s matches might be performed in UAE as a substitute of Pakistan, the host nation of the 2025 version. The transfer got here after the Board of Management for Cricket in India (BCCI) reached an agreement with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Pakistan, that each nations would play all ICC occasions hosted in both nation to be performed at impartial venues till 2027.
When was the final time Pakistan hosted a significant match?
Worldwide cricket in Pakistan has been heavily restricted in recent years following the assault by gunmen on the Sri Lankan cricket group’s bus in Lahore in 2009, which wounded six gamers.
Pakistan was shunned by prime groups after the assault, and the Champions Trophy marks the primary main international match to be hosted within the nation in practically 30 years. The final time Pakistan staged the worldwide sport was in 2006 for the Cricket World Cup, which they collectively hosted with India.
Why are defending champions Pakistan not the favourites?
Pakistan lifted the final version of the Champions Trophy by beating India in the final in 2017, however the defeated finalists are the favourites for the match based mostly on their consistency since then.
Pakistan have key match-winning players within the type of Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi, each former captains, however the nation’s tendency to implode at any stage in any match and any collection has led to a popularity that precedes them.
Off-field turbulence stays an enormous hindrance as effectively – Gary Kirsten was appointed white-ball coach final yr however he quit soon after and was changed by the then Check-match coach Jason Gillespie. The former Australian bowler soon followed his South African predecessor in standing down – each seemed to be well-liked figures with the gamers.
The opening defeat by New Zealand, which noticed the batting labour by way of the chase, highlighted how a lot Pakistan should overcome if they’re to carry the trophy on residence soil.
Why are India favourites to win the Champions Trophy?
India made tougher work of the chase of their opening match towards Bangladesh than was anticipated. Towhid Hridoy’s century ought to solely have delayed the inevitable, however with out Shubman Gill’s century in pursuit of 229, India may have been in serious trouble.
Rohit Sharma’s aspect reached the ultimate of the final ICC one-day worldwide match, the place they have been defeated by Australia at the 2023 Cricket World Cup. The loss was onerous to take for the gamers and their followers – particularly as a result of it got here on residence soil in Ahmedabad.
The 2024 T20 World Cup victory softened the blow to some extent however a victory within the Champions Trophy to disclaim the host nation and rivals, Pakistan, back-to-back crowns might be a candy return for Rohit’s males.
What are Pakistan and India’s data within the Champions Trophy?
Pakistan’s victory within the last towards India in 2017 is their solely triumph within the competitors. India have twice claimed victory within the Champions Trophy, in 2002 and 2013.
Kind information – Pakistan
The opening defeat by New Zealand marked a 3rd straight loss to the Kiwis, following two defeats in the pre-tournament tri-series with South Africa. Pakistan convey surprisingly good type to the match when on the street, nevertheless, so maybe a match in Dubai will assist. The lads in inexperienced secured victory within the final three bilateral ODI collection on their travels. A 2-1 overcome world champions Australia was the spotlight, however the 3-0 trouncing of a formidable South Africa aspect is to not be underestimated.
Kind information – India
India’s dominance in ODIs took a latest dip with a 2-0 defeat within the three-match collection towards Sri Lanka final August. That was their final collection previous to England’s tour earlier this month.
The three-0 collection whitewash was an enormous blow to England however a large confidence increase for the Males in Blue on the eve of the match – as was Gill’s second to shine within the opener towards Bangladesh.
Final 5 ODI matches
- Pakistan: W L W L L
- India: L W W W W
Pakistan group information
Pakistan’s Champions Trophy hopes weren’t solely hit by the defeat by New Zealand on Wednesday, but in addition the tournament-ending injury for Fakhar Zaman.
The opening batter valiantly strode to the center in an try to assist Virat Kohli and his aspect within the chase however the chest muscle harm was clearly hampering the 34-year-old, who was dominated out of a return to the group throughout this version.
Imam-ul-Haq has taken his place within the squad.
India group information
India are prone to be unchanged from the aspect that beat Bangladesh of their opening sport. The spin trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel might be regarded to on the tweaker-friendly floor in Dubai.
Harshit Rana was given the nod forward of Arshdeep Singh to interchange the injured Jasprit Bumrah in opening the opening with Mohammed Shami. It’s anticipated that India will go together with this choice as soon as once more.
Pakistan squad
Squad: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice captain), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi
India squad
Squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill (vice captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakravarthy.
