Former BCCI's president Sourav Ganguly, during an exclusive interaction with Sports Tak, revealed the top four teams who will be favourites to win the Champions Trophy 2025 title as the eight-team showpiece tournament is set to kick off from February 19.
Sourav Ganguly reveals Champions Trophy 2025 top 4 favourites
Former India captain said every team in Champions Trophy is good but India, Australia, England and South Africa are the four sides who are being dubbed as favourites to lift the coveted title in 2025 edition.
"Every teams in Champions Trophy are good. Now it will be tough to say. India, Australia, England, South Africa many teams are good and favourite. Pakistan is also there as the tournament is in subcontinent. Depends upon who will play good that time," Ganguly told Sports Tak.
India and Australia stand as the only two teams to have claimed the Champions Trophy twice. India's title triumph came in 2013 and a shared title with Sri Lanka in 2002 after the final was unfortunately washed out. Meanwhile, Australia lifted back-to-back Champions Trophy titles in 2006 and 2009.
Pakistan, the defending champions from the 2017 tournament, are expected to be a formidable contender. Notably, England are yet to taste the Champions Trophy glory and will look to end their title drought in 2025. Nevertheless, the English side were the runners up in 2013 and 2004.
But all eyes will be on Team India, who under the leadership of Rohit Sharma will begin their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign against Bangladesh in Dubai on February 20. Their group stage matches also include a highly anticipated clash with Pakistan on February 23, followed by a game against New Zealand on March 2.
The eight-team tournament will span from February 19 to March 8, with the final match taking place in Dubai.
The teams are divided into two groups of four, and the tournament will consist of 12 group stage matches before heading into the semifinals and the final. Cricket fans are eagerly awaiting the India versus Pakistan match on February 23rd in Dubai. If India advances to the final, the summit clash will also be held in Dubai.
Ganguly also commented on India's chances of lifting the coveted title. He said India are the hot favourites to win Champions Trophy 2025 but the chances of their glory entirely depends on how they execute themselves in the showpiece tournament.
"India has won the T20 world cup, in 2023 India was runner up in 50 overs World Cup. In Champions trophy India will be one of the favourite one of the contender. How India will execute everything depends upon that only. India's Wwhite ball team is very good," he further added.
India's Champions Trophy schedule:
20 February 2025: Bangladesh vs India, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
23 February 2025: Pakistan vs India, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
2 March 2025: New Zealand v India, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
India's Champions Trophy squad:
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja.
