PAKvIND: Pakistan opt to bat first against India in ‘do-or-die’ Champions Trophy match
DUBAI – Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first against India in their crucial ICC Champions Trophy 2025 match.
The decision to bat first comes after the team’s recent struggles with consistency, and they will be aiming to set a challenging target for India. Pakistan’s captain, Mohammad Rizwan, emphasized the importance of a solid start from the opening batsmen and building partnerships throughout the innings to maximize the total score.
As Dubai stadium buzzes with excitement, millions of fans from both nations are eager to witness this high-stakes encounter, knowing that the outcome will have a significant impact on coming games in Champions Trophy.
With political tensions adding to the intensity, millions of fans are eagerly awaiting this rare encounter between the two Asian giants. Defending champions Pakistan are desperate to retain their title, which they won in 2017 by defeating India. However, they face an uphill battle, having only won one of their eight completed One Day International (ODI) matches against India, placing the Men in Blue in a commanding position.
Pakistan’s journey to defending their Champions Trophy title has been bumpy, with a crushing 60-run defeat to New Zealand in their opening match in Karachi. As a result, today’s match has become a “do-or-die” affair for Pakistan—another loss could nearly end their hopes of progressing to the later stages of the tournament.
India enters game with strong momentum after securing a victory over Bangladesh in their opener. Despite concerns over injuries, including star pacer Jasprit Bumrah being ruled out of the tournament, India’s formidable lineup remains a force to reckon with.
Pakistan’s fast bowling trio—Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah—will be tasked with dismantling India’s established batting order, which boasts the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and KL Rahul. However, Pakistan’s biggest challenge may lie in their limited spin options, with only one specialist spinner, Abrar Ahmed, as opposed to India’s three spinners.
Both teams are facing off in what promises to be a high-pressure contest, with the outcome likely determining the trajectory of their tournament campaigns.
Pakistan vs India Squads
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Tayyab Tahir, Usman Khan.
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.
More updates to follow…
