Champions Trophy 2025: 5 Star players who are not part of the tournament

The ICC Men’s Champions Trophy is set to commence with a blockbuster clash between Pakistan and New Zealand on February 19 in Karachi. The eight-team 50-over tournament was last played in 2017, where Pakistan famously defeated India, and are set to host the ICC event for the first since 1996.

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Sri Lanka and West Indies are the top teams that failed to qualify for the ninth edition of the Champions Trophy, while Afghanistan are set to make their debut after an impressive show in the 2023 ODI World Cup. Eight teams are drawn in two groups for four each, with title favourites India in group A with Pakistan, Bangladesh and New Zealand.

Australia, the reigning ODI champions, are in group B with England, South Africa and Bangladesh. Each team will play three group-stage games in a single round-robin format, with the top two teams from both groups making the semi-finals. 

Star cricketers Joe Root and Mohammed Shami are set to make their return to ODI cricket, with India and England preparing themselves for a three-match bilateral series ahead of the Champions Trophy. But, the fans will also miss some of the biggest names in ODI cricket miss the tournament due to various issues. We highlight five star players who will not be part of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

1. Pat Cummins (Australia)

Australian captain Pat Cummins will not be featured in the Champions Trophy 2025, Cricket Australia confirmed on February 6. Cummins was named to lead the two-time champions but failed to recover from his ankle injury that occurred in the latter stages of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.

The 31-year-old right-arm fast bowler was in excellent form across formats leading to the Champions Trophy and his absence comes as a big blow to Australia who also miss out on their highest-ranked fast bowler Josh Hazlewood. Australia will also arrive in Pakistan without the injured all-rounder Mitchell Marsh and experienced Marcus Stoinis who announced a retirement from ODI cricket just two weeks before the tournament.

2. Saim Ayub (Pakistan)

The tournament hosts Pakistan are set to miss their rising star batter Saim Ayub due to injury. The Pakistan Cricket Board were hoping for the player’s availability for the potential knockout games but the youngster failed to recover from an ankle issue that occurred during the Test match against South Africa earlier this year on time. 

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Ayub’s biggest impact has come in ODIs where he boasts 515 runs in just nine innings at an amazing average of 64.37 with the help of three centuries. His absence forced the PCB to recall the veteran opener Fakhar Zaman to open in the Champions Trophy 2025.

3. Ben Stokes (England)

Ben Stokes was the biggest name missing when England announced their squad for the Champions Trophy in December last year. The English Test captain suffered a hamstring injury during the third Test against New Zealand in earlier December that ended his potential return to white-ball cricket as well.

The star all-rounder last played white-ball cricket during the 2023 World Cup in India. Stokes arguably made the biggest contribution to helping the Three Lions qualify for the Champions Trophy by scoring 304 runs in just six innings in the ODI World Cup. England recalled the veteran Joe Root to strengthen their middle order, but Stokes’ absence is likely to trouble the Jos Buttler-led side in Pakistan.

4. Mohammed Siraj (India)

India were one of the two last teams to announce their squad for the Champions Trophy due to the lack of clearance on Jasprit Bumrah’s availability for the tournament. Bumrah made the team with his availability subject to fitness but fans were surprised to see Mohammed Siraj’s name missing the 15-member squad.

Siraj was India’s all-format bowler leading into the Champions Trophy with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami missing one or two formats with regular injuries. But the right-arm pacer was struggling for a form in both white and red-ball cricket and was pushed out from the ODI team by the rising left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh and returning Mohammed Shami.

5. Anrich Nortje (South Africa)

Anrich Nortje was ruled out of South Africa’s squad for the Champions Trophy 2025 with a fresh back injury on January 15. The star fast bowler earlier missed the ongoing SA20 2025 tournament with a toe injury and is set to be on the sidelines for the next few weeks.

Nortje previously missed the 2019 and 2023 ODI World Cup tournaments due to injuries and last played an ODI cricket in September 2023. Despite making his ODI debut in 2019, the speedster has played just 22 ODI games so far due to an injury-plagued career.

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