India captain Rohit Sharma led by example in the ICC Champions Trophy final, delivering a match-winning performance in Dubai. The ‘Hitman’ played a crucial knock of 76 off 83 balls, setting the foundation for India’s successful chase of 252 against New Zealand. Later, KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya played vital cameos at No. 6 and No. 5, steering India to a historic victory at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday (March 8).
Despite losing his 12th consecutive toss, Rohit’s side put up a disciplined bowling display, restricting New Zealand to 251/7 in 50 overs. Spinners Kuldeep Yadav (2/40) and Varun Chakaravarthy (2/45) made key breakthroughs, keeping the Kiwis in check. In the end, India triumphed by four wickets, securing yet another ICC title in emphatic fashion.
New Zealand crushed South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Wednesday (March 5) to win the second semi-final of the Champions Trophy by 50 runs. The Kiwis will now meet India in the final of the ICC event on March 9 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Centuries from Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra helped New Zealand set a record breaking target in history of the Champions Trophy of 362.New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat against the Proteas which worked wonders for the Mitchell Santner-led side.
South Africa’s bowlers struggled to find their rhythm, and the opposition capitalized brilliantly. Late fireworks from Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips further propelled NZ to a commanding 363, leaving the Proteas with a mountain to climb.
The Indian bowlers did an excellent job and folded Australia for 264 in 49.3 overs after they won the toss and opted to bat in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final in Dubai. India in response lost Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma inside the first powerplay. Gill departed for 8(11), while Rohit, who was dropped twice, fell for 28(29). Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer then added 91 runs for the third wicket before Adam Zampa removed Iyer for 45(62). Kohli, who was dropped on 50 by Glenn Maxwell, then led the charge with Axar Patel before Steve Smith reintroduced pace. Nathan Ellis cleaned up Axar for 27(30) to raise Australia’s hope for a late comeback. Kohli carried on as KL Rahul joined him at the other end before an unnecessary shot against Zampa led to the former’s dismissal on 84(98). Earlier, Steve Smith dug deep and scored 73 off 96 balls, which was the highest from the Australian camp. Alex Carey also made a significant contribution and knocked 61 off 57 balls. Meanwhile, India’s biggest nemesis Travis Head managed 39 off 33 after being dropped by Mohammed Shami in the first over. The Indian quick was the leading wicket-taker from the Indian camp as he returned with three scalps and gave 48 runs in 10 overs. Varun Chakaravarthy and Ravindra Jadeja injected two blows each, while Hardik Pandya and Axar picked a wicket each.
Rohit Sharma-led India continued the imperious form and beat New Zealand by 44 runs in the final group stage encounter of the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai. The outcome helped India finish top of Group A and set a semi-final date with Australia, which will be played on March 4 at the same venue. Varun Chakaravarthy, playing his first match of the tournament, emerged as the standout player from the Indian camp. The mystery spinner claimed five wickets as India bundled out New Zealand for 205 in 45.3 overs after piling 249/9 on the board. Earlier, a star-studded batting line-up struggled to get going after being invited to bat first as India lost their top 3 – Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli – cheaply inside the first powerplay. Matt Henry, who completed a fifer, injected the first blow by trapping Gill for 2(7). Kyle Jamieson, his new ball partner, then got rid of Rohit (15 off 17), following which an incredible bit of fielding by Glenn Phillips cut short Kohli’s stay in the middle on 11(14). Axar Patel and Shreyas Iyer then added 98 runs for the fourth wicket but consumed a lot of deliveries in the process. Rachin Ravindra dismissed Axar for 42(61), and Iyer got out for 79(98) against William ORourke. Pandya then dragged the innings forward but failed to find the support from KL Rahul (23 off 29) and Jadeja (16 off 20), who lost his wicket to an absolute stunner by Kane Williamson. Pandya was dismissed in the final over for run-a-ball 45. The Black Caps in response got off to a decent start and added 44/1 at the end of first powerplay. Pandya packed Rachin for 6(12) and Chakaravarthy cleaned up Will Young for 22(35) in the 12th over. Williamson and Daryl Mitchell then steadied things for New Zealand before Kuldeep Yadav broke the partnership and trapped Mitchell LBW for 17(35). Williamson, however, continued his resistance but kept losing partners at the other end. Jadeja removed Tom Latham for 14(20) and shortly after Chakaravarthy injected two blows to pack Phillips (12 off8) and Michael Bracewell (2 off 3). Williamson’s resistance also came to a closure as he was stumped off Axar Patel for 81(121).
South Africa cemented their place in the semifinals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 with a commanding seven-wicket victory over England at the National Bank Stadium. The Proteas showcased a clinical all-round performance, dismantling England for a modest 179 before cruising to the target in just 29.1 overs.
With England already out of contention for the knockout stage, their hopes of salvaging some pride were shattered by a ruthless South African bowling attack. Marco Jansen (3/39) set the tone with early breakthroughs, while Wiaan Mulder (3/25) and Keshav Maharaj (2/35) ensured there was no respite for the English batters. England’s total of 179 was the lowest in this edition of the tournament, highlighting their struggles against a disciplined Proteas attack.
Chasing a manageable target, South Africa encountered a minor hiccup early on when Jofra Archer castled Tristan Stubbs for a duck. However, Ryan Rickelton (27 off 22) played a brisk knock to keep the innings steady before Heinrich Klaasen (64) and Rassie van der Dussen (72*) took control.
The duo stitched together a match-winning 127-run stand, dismantling England’s bowling with calculated aggression. Klaasen, making a comeback after an elbow injury, played a fluent 56-ball innings featuring 11 boundaries, while van der Dussen remained unbeaten, striking six fours and three sixes.
Rain continued to play major spoilsport at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Lahore on Friday as the match between Afghanistan and Australia produced no result. Both teams split a point each, which helps Australia qualify for the semifinal, while Afghanistan’s journey at the marquee tournament is virtually over. This is the third match where rain has caused hindrance, with Australia getting affected twice now. However, unlike the previous two instances, this did have some action as Travis Head and Steve Smith gave Australia an upper hand while chasing 274. The pair took Australia t0 109/1 in 12.5 overs when rain stopped play. Head was batting on 59(40), while Smith was playing on 19(22). Together the pair had added 65 in 50 balls. Earlier, superb batting efforts by Azmatullah Omarzai and Sediqullah Atal powered Afghanistan to 273. Omarzai led Afghanistan’s recovery after the team lost half its side with just 176 on the board. He smashed 67 off 63, featuring one 4 and five 6s, before getting out in the final over of the innings. Sediqullah also helped Afghanistan’s cause by hammering 85 off 95 balls before getting out to Spencer Johnson. The duo were the main contributors from the Afghanistan line-up as most failed to get going despite spending substantial time in the middle.
The final group-stage fixture of host Pakistan against Bangladesh was abandoned with the toss on Thursday at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi after heavy rains.
This marked Pakistan’s first time hosting an ICC tournament in 29 years, and they ended their disappointing campaign without winning a single match.
Similarly, Bangladesh concluded their participation without a victory and will return home with much to reflect on.
Both teams will share one point.
Pakistan has faced criticism for their lackluster performance in the tournament, which included a six-wicket loss to their traditional rivals, India, in Dubai.
This is the second match in Rawalpindi to be canceled without any play; the first was a washout between South Africa and Australia earlier this week.
Azmatullah Omarazai starred with the ball and claimed a five-wicket haul as Afghanistan registered a stunning 8-run win over England to knock them out of the semi-final race. Afghanistan put up a spirited show throughout the match and held their nerves in crunch situations to keep themselves alive in the tournament. Riding on Joe Root’s century, England put up a solid fightback, but in the end, they failed to get over the line.
With his golden arm, Omarzai provided a much-needed breakthrough for Afghanistan and got the better of Joe Root for 120 in a crunch situation, shifting the momentum in Afghanistan’s favor.
Root slammed his 17th ODI century but didn’t finish his job by himself. Earlier, Omarazai also got the better of England skipper Jos Buttler for 38. Meanwhile, Harry Brook failed against spin once again and got dismissed by Mohammad Nabi for 25 as England has lost four wickets in the chase now. Rashid Khan broke the crucial stand with Ben Duckett’s scalp for 38. The spin maestro trapped Duckett in front of the wicket. Earlier, England lost Phil Salt and Jamie Smith inside the first seven overs.
Ibrahim Zadran played an incredible 177-run knock as Afghanistan raced to a highly competitive 325 for seven in their must-win Champions Trophy match against England.
Zadran, whose daddy hundred came off 146 balls (12×4, 6×6), had solid support from skipper Hashmathullah Shahidi (40, 67b, 3×4), with whom he raised 103 runs for the fourth wicket, and Azmatullah Omarzai (41, 31b) with whom he milked 72 runs for the fifth wicket. Earlier, Jofra Archer brought his A-game to the table with the new ball and claimed three wickets inside powerplay to put Afghanistan on the back foot. The Afghan batters failed to judge Archer’s pace and ended up posting 39/3 after 10 overs.
Both Afghanistan and England were undone by two exceptional batting performances in their opening games. They have also been kept alive because of the match between the two sides that beat them being washed out yesterday. There is no doubt that it is England who are under the bigger pressure coming into this match, though and for Afghanistan, any kind of victory would be a cherry on top of the remarkable journey they have been on, which resulted in them qualifying for the Champions Trophy in the first place.
The Bazball reboot hasn’t quite worked out well for England, even though they are making all the noises that they have done in Test cricket in the past couple of years outside the field. As has been the case with the Test team, whose high rish approach has wielded results for only a very short period, the big talk of joy and laughter hasn’t quite translated to results on the pitch.
Under McCullum, England were outplayed quite comprehensively in their three-match ODI series in India prior to this tournament. They then may have scored 356/5 against a depleted Australian bowling attack but then ended up losing that match by five wickets with more than two overs to spare. Liam Livingstone said after the match that they didn’t deserve to lose considering the performance they put in that day. A performance in which they conceded 356 runs in 47.3 overs.
Afghanistan have had to field questions on a number of off-the-field topics that have plagued their country, chiefly the plight of women under the Taliban. Some UK lawmakers want England to boycott Wednesday’s match but Afghanistan’s coach, former England batter Jonathan Trott said that the players themselves are caught in a tricky situation. “These guys are brave. They know the difference between right and wrong. It is a real tricky situation for them,” coach Jonathan Trott told the BBC broadcaster. “We work hard to bring joy to the country and the guys are passionate, brave and proud of being able to do that, but knowing full well that there are things that are not correct.”
Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi said his side were sportsmen who could only control what happened on the field. “We play hard, we work hard, we have good net sessions. So that’s what we’re thinking of and we only can do what we can do in the ground,” he told a press conference. England’ cricket board said this week’s game would go ahead after talks between the UK government, the International Cricket Council and the players, adding that the cricketing community alone could not tackle Afghanistan’s problems. They could do a lot on the field if England continues the way have in the recent past. The defeat was Australia was the fifth consecutive loss England suffered in ODIs.
Highlights of Afghanistan vs England Champions Trophy match:
– Azmatullah Omarzai picked a five-wicket haul (5/58) as Afghanistan (325/7) beat England (317) by 8 runs; Jos Buttler-led side got knocked out.
– Azmatullah Omarzai got the better of Joe Root for 120 as England wobbled in a tricky chase.
– Joe Root slammed 17th ODI century. England 246/6 in 41.2 overs vs Afghanistan (325/7) in Lahore.
– Azmatullah Omarazai provided the much-needed breakthrough to Afghanistan and claimed the crucial wicket of Jos Buttler for 38.
– Joe Root hit 42nd ODI half-century. England 148/4 in 25.2 overs vs Afghanistan (325/7).
– Rashid Khan broke the 68-run stand for the third wicket and claimed the crucial wicket of Ben Duckett for 38.
– Mohammad Nabi got the better of Jamie Smith for 9, on the first ball of his spell as England lost their two wickets early.
– Afghanistan posted 325/7 (I Zadran 177; J Archer 3/64) in 50 overs vs England in Lahore
– Ibrahim Zadran registered the highest individual score in Champions Trophy history – 177
– Ibrahim Zadran slammed 150 off 134. Afghanistan 272/5 in 45.3 overs vs England in Lahore
– Ibrahim Zadran hit 6th ODI century. Afghanistan 183/4 in 36.3 overs vs England in Lahore
– Ibrahim Zadran scored 8th ODI half-century. Afghanistan 96/3 in 23.2 overs vs England
– Jofra Archer claimed three wickets inside powerplay to break Afghanistan’s back.
Ibrahim Zadran shattered the record of the highest individual score in the ICC Champions Trophy by smashing 177 runs against England at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday, 26 February 2025.
The 23-year-old right-handed batter scored the second century for Afghanistan in any ICC event after smashing the last ton against Australia in Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi where Glenn Maxwell hit the historical double ton to win the match for the eventual winners.
Zadran played 146 balls in his marathon knock which included 12 fours and six maximums. He lost his wicket in the last over of the inning when Jofra Archer took a simple catch near the boundary rope off Liam Livingstone’s delivery.
177 Ibrahim Zadran 100 vs England, Lahore 2025
165 Ben Duckett vs Australia, Lahore 2025
145*Nathan Astle vs USA, The Oval 2004
145 Andy Flower vs India, Colombo RPS 2002
141*Sourav Ganguly vs South Africa, Nairobi 2000
141 Sachin Tendulkar vs Australia, Dhaka 1998
141 Graeme Smith vs England, Centurion 2009
Zadran’s 177 is also the highest score by an Afghanistan batter in ODI cricket. He broke his own record of 162 which he made against Sri Lanka in Pallekele in November 2022. This was his sixth ODI hundred and second in an ICC event.
Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Graeme Smith have a score of 141 each in the 1998, 2000 and 2009 editions of the tournament.
Afghanistan have set a 326-run target for England after opting to bat first in a must-win game at Lahore. The winner of the match will stay alive in the tournament whereas the loser will be knocked out of the tournament.
The all-important Group B encounter between Australia and South Africa at ICC Champions Trophy 2025 was washed out without a ball bowled due to incessant rain at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday (February 25, 2025). The toss could not take place and a persistent drizzle in the region made play impossible.
The Steve Smith-led Aussies and Temba Bavuma’s Proteas thus earned a point apiece to now possess three points each from two games. The next Group B match between Afghanistan and England (on Wednesday) is a virtual eliminator, as whoever loses it would be out of semi-finals reckoning.
Both the Aussies and the Proteas came into this match after winning their campaign openers.
While Australia mounted a superb run-chase to beat arch-rivals England by five wickets in Lahore, Bavuma‘s men thrashed Afghanistan by 107 runs in Karachi to sound an early warning to all opponents.
From Group A, India and New Zealand have already qualified for the last-four stage and Pakistan, Bangladesh have been knocked out. India will meet the second-placed side from Group B in the first semi-final in Dubai on March 4, while the Kiwis will take on the Group B toppers in Lahore on March 5.
Virat Kohli showed his brilliance once again on the big stage when it mattered the most and played a vital knock to help India beat arch-rivals Pakistan by six wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
Kohli has an average of 91 against Pakistan which shows how much he loves to perform against them. He soaked the pressure better than anyone in this match and proved once again why he is called a chasing master!
There were many concerns about Kohli’s form before the tournament. He also struggled with runs during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but showed some improvement in the bilateral series against England where he also hit a half-century.
India lost their first wicket early in the fifth over when Shaheen Shah Afridi bowled captain Rohit Sharma with a toe-crushing yorker. Then came King Kohli and looked in fine touch with the first delivery he played.
He took his time and framed his inning with mostly singles and doubles. He took 111 balls to reach his century which included seven fours.
He added 69 runs with Shubman Gill for the second wicket and 114 runs for the third wicket with Shreyas Iyer.
Afridi conceded three wide deliveries in the next over but Kohli kept pushing for singles and doubles to come closer to his hundred. He achieved the feat with a boundary over covers off Khushdil Shah on the third delivery of the 43rd over to win the match as well.
During his unbeaten knock, he also complete his 14,000 ODI runs and became the quickest to reach the milestone. He took just 287 innings to complete 14 thousand runs whereas the second-quickest was Sachin Tendulkar who took 350 innings to reach there.
Kohli was named Player of the Match for his match-winning performance. This was his fifth POTM award against Pakistan in ICC tournaments. No other player has won more than three Player of the Match against a single opponent in ICC tournaments.
India will face New Zealand in their next Group A match on 2 March at the same venue whereas Pakistan will clash with Bangladesh on 27 February in Rawalpindi.
India: Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav
Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan(w/c), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
As both teams prepare for the much-awaited showdown, opinions on their form, strengths, and weaknesses have been making headlines.
Former Australia captain Steve Waugh, while speaking at the Laureus Sport for Good Mental Health and Wellbeing Forum, emphasized the global significance of the fixture.
“It’s more than a cricket match – it’s a massive global event,” Waugh stated. “Whenever these two teams meet, the atmosphere is electric, and the outcome is unpredictable. Both have immense talent. India are favourites, but white-ball cricket is unpredictable – one player can change the game in an instant.”
Waugh singled out India’s in-form opener Shubman Gill and veteran Virat Kohli as key players to watch. He also commented on Pakistan’s inconsistency.
“Pakistan have been inconsistent over the last year. They’re capable of brilliance, but you never know which Pakistan side will show up. India should win, but a Pakistan upset wouldn’t shock me,” he added.
Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria did not hold back in his criticism of Pakistan batter Babar Azam, accusing him of prioritizing personal milestones over team success.
“If we talk about Babar Azam, he is playing for himself. When he is under pressure, he focuses on keeping his stats and ICC ranking intact,” Kaneria told PTI.
“I have scored a fifty, I have done it. But where is the intent of winning the match for your side?” he questioned.
Kaneria also pointed out Pakistan’s poor form heading into the clash. “I don’t think there is much hype this time because Pakistan is not playing good cricket. India are playing excellent cricket.”
Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali was blunt about Pakistan’s declining cricketing standards, calling India the outright favourites.
“India are favourites. There is no doubt about that. In my opinion, if Pakistan manage to beat India, it will be an upset because our cricket has gone down and is at an all-time low,” Ali said on his YouTube channel.
Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh downplayed the excitement around the match, stating that India’s dominance has reduced the rivalry’s competitiveness.
“The match between India and Pakistan is overhyped. India are a very strong team, while Pakistan are inconsistent,” Harbhajan said.
He also took a dig at Babar Azam’s batting record against India. “A batter averages 31-32 and claims himself as the top batter? I feel a top batter’s average should be around 45-50.”
India opener Shubman Gill disagreed with Harbhajan’s view, saying that the rivalry remains special.
“India-Pakistan has its own history. It is an exciting contest every time both teams play. If so many people get happiness by watching this rivalry, who are we to call it overhyped or underhyped?” Gill said in a pre-match press conference.
