Who are the favorite to make champions trophy 2025 semi-finals? All Scenarios explained

It is the biggest cricketing event of the calendar year as the world’s best eight teams get ready to lock horns with one another in the ICC champions trophy who in karachhi from the 19th of the feebruryry. The Million -Dollar Question then is – who are the favorite to win the tournament? How much will home-half-read help Pakistan? Why are new zealand again the dark humse and what is ailing australia, england and south Africa?

India – The Highest Impact Batting Unit
India are, by some distance, the best batting unit going into the tournament. They have the best batting average and strike rate in ODI CRICKET SINCE 2023 Which means that not only are they scoring big but are also also doing so at an alarming rate! India have crossed 350 on as many obcasions in the last couple of years – the most for any time in this time -frame. They have annihilated the opposition by a margin of 100 or more runs in nine encounters while hammering them by seven or more wickets in nine more! They dominated the 2023 World Cup at Home Before Running Into Australia in the Final.

India are the number one ranked Odi team in the world and at the top of their game in the format. They are in form having smashed england 3-0 at home in their last bilateral series before the champions trophy.

Rohit Sharma may be at the CUSP of Retirement in Test Cricket but remain a dynamic force at the top of the order for India in odis – as he recently showcased with in cuttack. Kohli Still Boasts of the Highest Batting Average in Odi History While No Batter in the World Has Scored More Runs Than Shubman Gill Since 2023. Shreyas Iyer Has Returned with A Bang and Was in the SCINILLITING FOROM Install England – He is a brilliant player of spin and will be key in the middle overs in Dubai. Kl Rahul and Hardik Pandya will provide the impetus at the death.

While Jasprit bumrah’s unavailability is a massive blow for team India and he will be missed in crunch situations especially in the Knockouts, The Men in BLUE STILL HIVE ENOVE SINCH Use Trouble to any opposition line-up. Mohammed Shami May Not Have Had the Best of Comebacks Against England But His Strike Rate of 25.7 is the Best in ODI CRICKET HISTORY FOR A MINIMUM OF 150 Wickets! Kuldeep Yadav is India Highest Wicket-Taker in Odis Since 2023 with 55 wickets in 34 innings at an average of 21.76 and Economy of 4.51 What Varun Chakravarthy is at the peak of HIS PROWESS In Wall CRICKE.

India will steamrol their opponents on flat decks and have high quality spinners to cause Trouble on Turning tracks.

Home Advantage for Pakistan?
Pakistan has two things going for them ahead of the tournament. The Defending Champions will be playing in Familiar Conditions at Home in Front of Vocify and Passionate Crowds. Secondly, the team’s batting line -up looks more stable than ever before in the last 10 years with less dependency on his two stalwarts – Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.

Fakhar Zaman (4 Hundreds in Last 22 Innings) and Salman Agha (Pakistan’s Highest Scorer in Tri-Series in February) Have ben in fin form in ODI CRICKET and This AUGUS Well for the Hosted.

However, like with all Pakistan teams of the past, their chances of making the last four will depend on their fast bowlers – on the pace trio of shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah. Afridi is the Leading Wicket-Taker in Odis Since 2023 with 63 Dismissals in Just 30 Mats Whats Whof has Been Brilliant in the Death overs with a strike rate of 13 and economy of 6.5 in this time.

Pakistan Have a Decent Record at Home Having Won 13 of his 19 odis since 2021. Ounter Against New Zealand at karachi.

New Zealand – Dark Horse
New Zealand’s Triumph in the Tri-Series in Pakistan Bold Given a Significant Boost to their chances at the champions trophy. Kane williamson’s form – He scored 225 runs in the series with a history and a fifty – would be the biggest positive for new zealand from the series. Glenn Phillips and Daryl Mitchell – Both Excellent Players of Spin – would be the two other batters to watch out for in Pakistan. Mitchell is the leading scorer for new zealand in odis since 2023 with five tons in 30 innings at an average of close to 50 and strike rate of almost 100!

Matt henry will lead the pace attack and has ben new zealand’s highhest wicket-taker in the last couple of years with 39 dismissals in 24 matches at a litle less than 25 apiece. Skipper, Mitchell Santner will be key in the middle overs and has also bagged 30 wickets at an economy of 4.76 since 2023.

New zealand’s ability to raise their game in big ICC events and punch about their weight will make them the dark house for the tournament. They have made the semi-on the three previous 50-over world cups and two of the last three t20 world cups.

Absence of Pace Trio Will Hurt Australia
Australia has big reasons to worry ahead of the tournament. Not only was they humiliated in the bilateral series in sri lanka with their batting unit folding Pions trophy.

The Australian Batting Line-Up Completely Collapsed In Thei Last Four Odis Against Pakistan and Sri Lanka and Failed to Touch 170 even even Even Once. Their over-Dependence on Travis Head for a Quick Start at the top of the order cannot be overstated. The left-hander is their highhest impact batter since 2023 with 840 runs in 19 matches at an average of 52.5 and strike rate of 128.

In the absence of the quicks, the onus of leading the bowling unit will be on adam zampa. The Leg Spinner has been in trendous form in ODI Cricket and is Australia’s Leading Wicket-Taker Since 2023 with 54 wickets in 32 matches at an average at an average of 28.3. He was Australia’s Highest Wicket-Taker of the 2023 World Cup.

England Look at Sea in the 50-Over Format

England has come a full circle in ODI cricket and are now exactly where they were after They had a horrid 2023 world cup finishing 7th on the table and have been in poor form in 50-over-over cricket in the last couple of years. England has just just won 14 and loss 20 of his last 35 matches and was thought 3-0 by India in his last bilateral series.

The batting is a major cause of concern for england. Barring ben ducket, none of his other batters ABove 40 Since 2023. The combined batting average of their top 6 places them in the bottom cluster in this time-frame.

Top-order woes for south Africa

South Africa Have Had a Tough Run Post The 2023 World Cup in India. They have lost 10 of their 14 matches which incluses a home-series defeat at the hands of Afghanistan! They fare poorely in the recent tri-series in Pakistan losing to the hosts and new zealand.

South Africa has big issues with their top and middle order with a combined average of just 28.21 in their last 14 matches. The bowling has not fought better eather with an average of 34.95 Placing them in the bottom cluster in this time-frame.

Prediction

India are expected to win all their encounters, top group a and story into the semi-final. This essentially means that the tournament opener between Pakistan and new zealand could well be a shoot for the second semi-final spot from the group. Australia know how to raise their game in the big ICC events and should prevail in group b which means that the clash between england and south Africa is a potential Quarter-Final. Unless, of course, Afghanistan are planning to write their own script!