Champions Trophy 2025: India and Pakistan- With the threat of elimination from the 2025 Champions Trophy looming, a struggling Pakistan will look to their strong tournament record against India for motivation. However, past success alone won’t guarantee victory.
Star players like Babar, Rizwan, and Afridi must deliver standout performances—but even that might not be sufficient against an Indian side that excels under pressure.
A day after landing in Dubai from Karachi, Pakistan were back in action at the ICC Academy grounds on Friday night. Watching them train, one wouldn’t have guessed the pressure they faced following a heavy defeat to New Zealand in their Champions Trophy opener on Wednesday.
The atmosphere was filled with energy, enthusiasm, and camaraderie, with no visible signs of nerves ahead of the highly anticipated clash.
Pakistan are on the verge of an early exit from their own tournament. A 60-run thrashing by the Kiwis has left them one loss away from possible elimination.
Sunday’s high-stakes encounter against arch-rivals India comes at a challenging time—yet it could also be the perfect moment for Pakistan to rise to the occasion, given their track record of delivering against India, especially in the Emirates.
While India holds a dominant head-to-head advantage in World Cups, winning 15 of 16 encounters across the 50- and 20-over formats, Pakistan have the edge in their Champions Trophy meetings, leading 3-2.
India and Pakistan- Potential Playing XI of Pakistan
- Babar Azam
- Mohammad Rizwan (Captain/Wicketkeeper)
- Usman Khan
- Kamran Ghulam
- Agha Salman
- Tayyab Tahir
- Khushdil Shah
- Shaheen Afridi
- Abrar Ahmad
- Naseem Shah
- Mohammad Hasnain
Pakistan holds an advantage over India in the Champions Trophy.
“Pakistan’s most recent victory over India in the Champions Trophy came in the final of the previous edition in June 2017 at The Oval in London. Sarfaraz Ahmed’s side capitalized on the opportunity to bat first on a superb batting track, before Mohammad Amir dismantled the Indian top order to seal a dominant win.
Pakistan also have fond memories of facing India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, having won their last two encounters there. They secured a historic ten-wicket triumph in the 2021 T20 World Cup—their first-ever World Cup win against India—and followed it up with a thrilling five-wicket victory in the 2022 T20 Asia Cup, clinching the match with a ball to spare.
However, those wins came in a different format and at a different time. For the record, India have prevailed in both 50-over matches between the sides at this venue, winning their Asia Cup encounters in 2018.”
Finding themselves in a tough spot during an ICC event is nothing new for Pakistan. A prime example is the 1992 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. After a sluggish start, managing only three points from their first five matches, they staged a remarkable comeback by winning their last three games.
This run included a crucial victory over the previously unbeaten New Zealand in their final league match in Christchurch. They carried that momentum into the final, where they convincingly defeated England by 22 runs to claim the title.
“In the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, Pakistan found themselves in a precarious position after back-to-back losses to India and Zimbabwe left them without a point after two matches.
Even winning their final three group games wouldn’t have guaranteed a semifinal spot, but they did their part and benefited from a stroke of luck when the Netherlands pulled off a shock victory over South Africa, paving Pakistan’s way to the last four.
Ultimately, their title hopes were dashed in the final, where Sam Curran’s exceptional bowling and Ben Stokes’ composed batting proved decisive.
Given this history, Mohammad Rizwan’s side still have reason to believe their campaign isn’t over.
If they are searching for omens and patterns, they might find encouragement in the fact that, just like in 2017 under Sarfaraz Ahmed, another wicketkeeper-batter is leading the team. However, many might see this as little more than wishful thinking.”
Ranked No. 3 in the ICC ODI standings, Pakistan are far from an average 50-over side. They possess quality in both batting and bowling, but their challenge has never been a lack of talent. Instead, their struggles have often stemmed from inconsistency in delivering their best performances on the biggest stages.
Pakistan tends to thrive when under pressure, and with their backs against the wall now, they must find a way to bounce back. A resurgence will require their pace attack to shake off its sluggish form and for former captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan to take charge with the bat.
The burden on Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan has grown significantly in recent days following the loss of explosive opener Fakhar Zaman, who has been ruled out due to an abdominal muscle injury sustained while fielding against New Zealand.
Fakhar played a pivotal role in Pakistan’s 2017 Champions Trophy triumph, smashing 114 off 106 balls in the final and building crucial partnerships—128 runs for the first wicket with Azhar Ali and 72 for the second with Babar—to set the stage for a dominant finish.
His absence is a major setback that Pakistan must quickly put behind them. While Fakhar is nearly irreplaceable, boasting an impressive ODI average of 46.21 and a strike rate of 93.85 across 86 matches, Rizwan still has enough firepower at his disposal to keep Pakistan competitive.
India cannot afford to underestimate a determined Pakistan. India and Pakistan
If the pitch for Sunday’s match is as slow as it was when India defeated Bangladesh by six wickets, it could significantly limit the effectiveness of Pakistan’s fast bowlers while bringing leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed into play.
Abrar will have his eyes on Virat Kohli, who has struggled against leg-spin, falling to it in five of his last six ODI innings over the past six and a half months. Having never faced Abrar before, Kohli could find himself in an intriguing contest if he successfully navigates Pakistan’s pace attack.
India’s dominant 15-1 record against Pakistan in World Cups is not just a reflection of their skill but also their ability to stay composed under pressure. For fans on both sides of the border, this isn’t just a high-stakes clash—it’s the ultimate showdown, surpassing even the tournament final in significance.
Historically, India have excelled at keeping emotions in check and treating this as just another game, as much as the circumstances allow. On Sunday, they will step onto the field with quiet confidence, knowing that if they play to their strengths, the odds will favor them.
However, they also understand that underestimating any Pakistan team—especially one with its back against the wall—could leave them vulnerable to a decisive counterattack.
India and Pakistan- Potential Playing XI of India
- Rohit Sharma (captain)
- Shubman Gill
- Virat Kohli
- Shreyas Iyer
- KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper)
- Hardik Pandya (All Rounder)
- Axar Patel (All Rounder)
- Ravindra Jadeja (All Rounder)
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Mohammed Shami
- Arshdeep Singh/Harshit Rana.
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