The highly anticipated Champions Trophy 2025 is just around the corner and cricket fans all over the world are eagerly waiting to witness the action. With the tournament being held in Pakistan and the UAE, the stage is set for the top teams to battle it out for the coveted title. As a teaser, the ICC released a thrilling Mission Impossible-style promo featuring star players Shaheen Afridi, Hardik Pandya, and Phil Salt. Pandya and Salt expressed their excitement and determination to bring the trophy home for their respective teams. This promises to be an epic showdown with 15 matches and 8 teams vying for the ultimate glory on 19 February.
ICC Announces Champions Trophy 2025: Pakistan and UAE to Co-Host
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that the highly anticipated Champions Trophy 2025 will be jointly hosted by Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The tournament, which features the top eight One-Day International (ODI) teams, is scheduled to take place from 19 February.
Mission Impossible-Themed Promo
To build excitement for the event, the ICC has released a thrilling "Mission Impossible"-style promo featuring star players Shaheen Afridi, Hardik Pandya, and Phil Salt. The promo showcases the players' determination to bring the trophy home for their respective teams.
Tournament Format
The Champions Trophy 2025 will feature a total of 15 matches played across four venues in Pakistan (Lahore, Karachi) and the UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi). The tournament will follow a group stage format, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semi-finals. The final will be played on 19 February at the Dubai International Stadium.
Participating Teams (Based on ICC ODI Rankings)
Past Champions
The Champions Trophy has been held every four years since 1998. India is the most successful team in the tournament's history, having won three titles (2002, 2013, 2017). Other past winners include Pakistan (1992, 2009), Australia (2006), Sri Lanka (2000), and the West Indies (2004).
Top 5 FAQs and Answers
Q1: When is the Champions Trophy 2025? A1: The tournament will be held from 19 February 2025.
Q2: Which teams are participating? A2: The top eight ODI-ranked teams will participate in the tournament.
Q3: Where will the tournament be played? A3: The matches will be played across four venues in Pakistan and the UAE.
Q4: Who is the defending champion? A4: India is the defending champion, having won the tournament in 2017.
Q5: Who are the favorites to win? A5: Australia, India, and England are considered to be the pre-tournament favorites.
In the series opener, left-handed batter Abhishek Sharma stole the show with a stunning display of power hitting. His unbeaten 79 runs off just 34 balls included eight sixes and five fours, helping India chase down a modest total of 132 with ease. Sharma's incredible hitting was praised by coach Ravi Shastri and his partnership with Sanju Samson proved to be crucial in India's victory. England will have a tough task ahead if they want to level the series in the next match.
In the sports world, Indian all-rounder Axar Patel shines with his performance against England in the first T20I. He picks up two wickets and concedes just seven runs in three overs, including the dismissal of struggling Gus Atkinson. England, in the meanwhile, struggles to put up a good batting performance, setting a target of 132 for India. Follow Sportskeeda for live updates and news on the ongoing T20I series.
In the first T20 match between India and England, the Indian team put on an impressive performance, chasing down a target of 133 runs with ease to take a 1-0 lead in the series. Despite initial struggles against Jofra Archer, Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma put on strong batting displays to help secure the win. Spinner Varun Chakravarthy was the standout player of the match, picking up three crucial wickets and being named Player of the Match. With five more matches to go, the series is sure to deliver more exciting moments.
Despite calls for England to boycott their match against Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy, England's white-ball captain Jos Buttler believes that it is not the right way to move forward. The Taliban regime's assault on women's rights in Afghanistan has sparked controversy, leading to UK politicians urging for the boycott. However, Buttler believes that political situations should not affect sports and hopes for a successful tournament.
After a thrilling match, Barcelona secured their spot in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League with a resounding victory. The team's post-match reactions and interviews are captured in this update, providing fans with all the latest insights and analysis. Read on for a full match report and highlights of this exciting game. Make sure to follow Al Jazeera English for more sports updates and news.
In a highly anticipated match, India's Men in Blue defeated England by seven wickets in the first T20I at the iconic Eden Gardens. With the absence of veteran seamer Mohammed Shami, expectations were high on the three spinners chosen by the team management - Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, and Ravi Bishnoi, and they did not disappoint. After limiting England to a respectable 132 runs, India batted aggressively in the second innings with Sanju Samson's fiery knock of 26 runs and Abhishek Sharma's blistering half-century of 79 runs. This marked India's seventh consecutive T20I win at Eden Gardens, maintaining their nine-year-old unbeaten record at the venue.
England's Jofra Archer was the star of the show as he dismissed both Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav in the fifth over of the match. The seamer delivered a well-directed short ball that caught both batsmen off guard and resulted in their wickets. His efforts were crucial in England's victory as they managed to defend their total of 132, with Jos Buttler scoring 68 runs. India, on the other hand, fell short of their target despite a valiant effort from captain Virat Kohli, who scored 71 runs.
Indian women's cricket has come a long way and there's no better evidence of it than the latest honour for all-time great Jhulan Goswami. The iconic Eden Gardens has named a stand after the pace sensation, becoming one of only three cricketers to receive such recognition. Having picked up a record 255 scalps in 204 ODIs for India, Goswami stands tall as an inspiration for girls dreaming to emulate her success in cricket.
Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin praised the abilities of Phil Salt, claiming that he could be the most valuable T20 batter in the world. He also mentioned Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell as players to keep an eye on for England in the upcoming T20I series against India. Ashwin highlighted their past performances and potential to excel in white-ball cricket.
After reaching his second Grand Slam semi-final, 22-year-old Ben Shelton used his press conference at the Australian Open to criticize the treatment of players by the tournament's broadcasters. Shelton's comments were sparked by the on-court interviewer's suggestion that fans would boo him in the next round, and he proceeded to highlight recent incidents involving top players and Australian broadcasters. The American tennis player says he is looking forward to facing either defending champion Jannik Sinner or home favorite Alex de Minaur, but is concerned about the potential negativity from the crowd.