ICC CT 2025: Battle lines drawn for marquee India-Pakistan clash
With their fate hanging by a thread, Rizwan’s side faces a must-win situation.
With their fate hanging by a thread, Rizwan’s side faces a must-win situation.
The future of the Champions Trophy, which returned after an eight-year hiatus, was under a cloud after India’s refusal to send its team across the border citing security concerns, while Pakistan remained adamant about holding the entire tournament before the ICC intervention sorted the crisis by adopting a hybrid model.
Opener Ryan Rickelton scored his maiden ODI hundred (103) as half-centuries from skipper Temba Bavuma(58), Rassie van der Dussen (52) and Aiden Markaram (52 not out) propelled South Africa to 315/6 in 50 overs against Afghanistan in the ICC Champions Trophy Group B clash at National Stadium.
India and Pakistan are set to clash in another mega battle when they meet in the ICC Champions Trophy encounter at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.
Arsenal and Aston Villa were handed favourable draws in the next round in PSV and Club Brugge respectively but the English sides will be facing a tough road to the final.
The 27-year-old Azam already has the top ICC billing in both white-ball formats, but is ranked fifth in the longest format behind the likes of Australia's Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith, New Zealand's Kane Williamson and prolific England run-getter Joe Root.
India are currently ranked 106 on the FIFA ladder, and had played Belarus in an official match in the FIFA international window in March 2022, a match where they went down 0-3.
Having already dealt with the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics, which were rescheduled for 2021 due to the pandemic, the Indian team is once again faced with the same situation where the Asian Games have been postponed indefinitely.
Swiatek hit 23 winners to 15 unforced errors in 61 minutes and lost just 10 points in seven service games. She improved to 3-0 against Riske with the victory, with all three wins coming on clay; they played in both Madrid
The two sides came into the game with 10 consecutive wins each and required a win to seal the title. The game at Kalinga Stadium itself was full of quality, with Sethu and Gokulam Kerala both producing brilliant passages of play.
