As the 2025 Champions Trophy heats up, the excitement is growing for the eagerly awaited showdown between India and Pakistan, slated to be played on Sunday in Dubai. The biggest clash in sport is set to draw huge crowd with both rivals hoping to outperform each other. India, coming off a commanding victory in their opening game, will look to carry forward their momentum. Meanwhile, Pakistan, who suffered a setback in their first match, will be determined to bounce back and reclaim their form. India’s victory in the opening game has certainly bolstered their confidence, and they will enter this match as favourites, thanks to their solid batting and bowling attack.
Central to India’s hopes of success are two of the game's most prominent figures - Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Their contrasting performances in the last game have only added more intrigue to the match.
Rohit Sharma, one of the most dangerous batters, displayed his trademark aggressive style in India’s first match of the tournament. Scoring 41 off 36, he looked in good touch, setting India off to a brisk start. Rohit’s ability to shift gears in any situation makes him a key player for the team, and his boisterous knock in the last game has only boosted his confidence ahead of the contest against Pakistan.
On the other hand, Virat Kohli's performance in the opening match was less than satisfactory, as he failed to make an impact with the bat. Repeated failures for Kohli have put him under immense pressure and he will be keen to silence his critics and get back to his usual commanding form against Pakistan. However, his record against Pakistan has been nothing sort of extraordinary, having played some of the sizzling knocks in the past. Against Pakistan, Kohli is always a threat, regardless of his previous performance. Moreover, Kohli’s ability to chase down big targets and anchor an innings in tough conditions is what sets him apart.
Defending champions Pakistan, on the other hand, will be smarting from their defeat in the first game against New Zealand. The loss has added extra pressure on the side, but with the likes of Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha in their ranks, they are a team that India will not underestimate. Pakistan possess a world-class bowling lineup with the likes of Haris Raud, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah. The trio, who has been unmanageable in the past, will once again pose a greater threat to India heading into this match. Pakistan, meanwhile, need to win the battle against India in order to keep their chances of making the semifinals alive.
Pakistan won the last edition of the Champions Trophy by overcoming India in the final in 2017 but that is not the case with India this time around as they have been super consistent lately. Additionally, their ability to turn the tables at any stage in the game makes them an even stronger team. Nevertheless, India will be aiming to extend their winning streak, while Pakistan will be hoping to recover from their early defeat.
Pakistan Squad: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Salman Ali Agha (vc), 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: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (vc), 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