Cricket fans worldwide are eagerly awaiting the return of the ICC Champions Trophy, set to take place in Pakistan from next week ( February 19 ). This will be the ninth edition of the tournament, and will feature eight teams battling for glory.
Participating Teams and Groups
The tournament will see the participation of eight teams, divided into two groups:
Group A: Pakistan (host), India, New Zealand, Bangladesh
Group B: Australia, South Africa, England, Afghanistan
Each team will play a single round-robin format within their group, and the top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals.
Pakistan Looking to Defend Their Title
Pakistan enters the tournament as the defending champion, having last won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017 by defeating India in the final. They will look to replicate that success on home soil.
Previous Champions
- 2017: Pakistan
- 2013: India
- 2009: Australia
- 1998: South Africa (their only ICC tournament win)
Teams and Squads :
Pakistan Squad (Defending Champions)
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 Afridi
India Squad
Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammad Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakravarthy
- This could be the last ICC event for Indian cricket legends Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja.
- India is the defending T20 World Cup champion and has historically been one of the strongest teams in ICC tournaments.
- India will play all their matches in Dubai, as the venue has been selected for their group-stage games.
Australia Squad (Most Successful ICC Tournament Team)
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
- Australia recently won the ODI World Cup, solidifying its dominance in ICC tournaments. Australia has the most ICC tournament titles across formats, including 6 ICC ODI Cricket World Cups , 2 ICC Champions Trophy titles, and 1 ICC T20 World Cup title.
South Africa Squad (Looking to End ICC Trophy Drought)
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
- South Africa’s only ICC trophy win came in the 1998 Champions Trophy.
New Zealand Squad (The Unlucky Finalists)
Mitchell Santner (C), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, William O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young
- New Zealand has a history of reaching ICC tournament finals and semi-finals but often falling short.
- Their only ICC trophy win came in the World Test Championship.
England Squad (Powerhouse in Limited-Overs Cricket)
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, Philip Salt, Mark Wood
- England won the ODI World Cup in 2019 and has claimed two T20 World Cup titles (2016, 2022).
Bangladesh Squad
Najmul Hossain Shanto (C), Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Zakir Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana
- Bangladesh is yet to win an ICC trophy but continues to improve as a competitive force in world cricket.
Afghanistan Squad (Making Their Champions Trophy Debut)
Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangalia Kharote, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Malik, Naveed Zadran
- Afghanistan is playing in the ICC Champions Trophy for the first time.
- The team has been making rapid progress in international cricket.
Anticipation for the Tournament
With top cricketing nations competing, the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 promises to be an exciting and fiercely competitive tournament. Defending champions Pakistan will look to retain their title, while Australia, India, and England will be strong contenders based on recent form.
Meanwhile, teams like New Zealand and South Africa will be aiming to overcome their past heartbreaks, and Afghanistan and Bangladesh will be eager to make an impact on the big stage.
As the tournament unfolds, fans can expect thrilling matches, intense rivalries, and unforgettable moments in what promises to be a cricketing spectacle in Pakistan.
