Champions Trophy: 4 Teams that might not make it to the semi-finals

The 2025 Champions Trophy is fast approaching, with all eight teams ramping up their preparations for the marquee event. While Pakistan, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka are engaged in a tri-series, India is hosting England for an ODI series, and Australia is set to play ODIs in Sri Lanka. The tournament features eight teams divided into two groups. 

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Group A includes India, Pakistan, New Zealand, and Bangladesh, while Group B consists of Australia, South Africa, Afghanistan, and England. With squads finalised and injury concerns looming over several key players, it appears that four teams may face significant challenges in their quest to qualify for the semi-finals. 

Here are the four teams that might not make it to the semi-finals

Group A

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1. New Zealand

New Zealand might find it difficult to qualify for the semi-finals, considering the strength of their opponents in Group A. While they will start as favourites against Bangladesh, playing in spin-friendly conditions in Pakistan could pose a challenge. Their biggest tests will be against India and Pakistan.

Although the Kiwis registered a dominant win over Pakistan in the opening game of the ongoing tri-series, the Men in Green have a history of stepping up in ICC tournaments when it matters most. 

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Against India, the match will be played in Dubai, where handling the Men in Blue’s strong bowling attack could be a tough task. Additionally, the injury concern surrounding Rachin Ravindra is another setback for the Black Caps. 

2. Bangladesh

On paper, Bangladesh appears to be the weakest team in Group A. Their spinners will be crucial to their chances, especially in the spin-friendly conditions of Pakistan. However, given the quality of batters in the other teams, finding consistent breakthroughs will be a major challenge for the Tigers.

Moreover, there is a clear gap in approach, game awareness, and overall quality compared to their group-stage opponents. This could make it extremely difficult for them to secure even a single win in the tournament. While they have the potential to cause an upset, their path to success looks highly uncertain.

Group B

3. Australia

Australia initially named a strong squad, but after Marcus Stoinis’s sudden retirement plan, Cricket Australia confirmed that skipper Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Marsh would also miss the event due to respective injuries. As a result, four changes had to be made after the final squad announcement.

Without their captain and key players like Hazlewood and Stoinis, things will be tricky for the Aussies. This means star players like Glenn Maxwell will have to take on more responsibility. While replacements have been named, and some of them bring vast domestic experience, their limited international exposure could make a huge difference. 

The 2023 ODI World Cup winners will need their experienced campaigners to step up and guide the team through this difficult situation.    

4. England

The Jos Buttler-led side is currently battling through a tough three-match ODI series in India. With one match still to go, India has already won the first two games convincingly, raising serious concerns over England’s preparations for the upcoming Champions Trophy.

Their disappointing 2023 ODI World Cup campaign in India is still fresh in memory, and once again, they seem to be struggling on spin-friendly pitches. The main issue has been their pace attack. 

While England's pacers are capable of consistently clocking speeds above 145-150 kmph, on flat decks, batters are using that extra pace to their advantage, easily finding boundaries. The lack of variations and a reliable Plan B to adapt to different conditions has been a major concern, especially in the ongoing series.

Given the experience their pace attack possesses, England should ideally perform better, but their struggles suggest it will be tough for them to make it to the semi-finals in this marquee event.

For the latest updates, match previews, and expert analysis on the 2025 Champions Trophy, visit Sky247 India now!