Dubai, UAE, February 23 (ANI): Team India will face off against arch-rivals Pakistan in their second Group A match at the Dubai International Stadium today in a bid to secure a semifinal spot in the ongoing tournament.
It's been since the 2017 Champions Trophy final that India and Pakistan have faced off in a Champions Trophy match. During that final, the Virat Kohli-led Indian team was defeated by Pakistan's star-studded lineup at the peak of their batting prowess, being bowled out for 158 runs while attempting to chase a massive 338 runs that Pakistan had achieved thanks to a century from Fakhar Zaman.
This would be a sweet revenge for players involved in this painful defeat, and their supporters would undoubtedly savor every moment of India's triumph over Pakistan in either batting or bowling.
Dating back to 1952, India and Pakistan have a long-standing rivalry that has endured and intensified over time. When these two South Asian nations come face to face, their competition takes on a new level.
Excitement has reached a boiling point for this upcoming meeting, considering their last 50-over match took place as far back as 2023 at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, where India emerged victorious with a seven-wicket win. The two teams also clashed at last year's ICC Men's T20 World Cup, with India edging out their opponents by just six runs.
Pakistan's situation has become increasingly desperate, as they are now in urgent need of a victory in order to have any hope of advancing to the semi-finals in their home tournament, following their crushing defeat at the hands of New Zealand in their opening match. Lacking the explosive hitting of opener Fakhar Zaman, the Pakistani batting line-up appears more cautious and ineffective than ever.
-Recent form:
Pakistan: The hosts' recent one-day international performance appears to be match-dependent. There's no doubt that New Zealand has the upper hand over them, having already beaten them three times in 2025, including in the tournament opener. However, Pakistan also beat powerhouse South Africa in the lead-up to the Champions Trophy, following their 3-0 one-day international series sweep of the Proteas in December last year.
India: They have achieved eight victories from nine white-ball cricket matches so far this year and have not lost a single ODI, winning four in a row. They convincingly defeated England 3-0 before the Champions Trophy, followed by a dominant display against Bangladesh in their first tournament match. This has demonstrated their ability to excel even without Jasprit Bumrah and compete against any team.
-Players in focus:
Pakistan: Babar Azam
The star batsman recently lost his position as the world's top-ranked Men's ODI batsman to the player listed below. In this match, Babar will have the opportunity to prove himself and is a key target for India to focus on. 2024 was a relatively disappointing year for Babar, but his 64 against New Zealand may be the boost he needed to return to his top form.
India: Shubman Gill
There is no surprise in this selection, following his recent performances in ODI matches. Shubman Gill is the top-ranked One-Day International batter according to the ICC rankings, surpassing Babar in the lead-up to the tournament, and is likely to further widen the gap with other contenders after scoring a century in India's opening match of the Champions Trophy. Pakistan will likely be planning and strategizing to find a way to eliminate India's 25-year-old opening batsman.
Squads:
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi
India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakravarthy.