Champions Trophy 2025 FAQs: Players, Squads, Venues, Pitch Reports, Schedule, Where to watch and more

The ninth edition of the Champions Trophy is set to begin on 19 February 2025. It will be hosted by Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The tournament final will take place on 9 March.

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On the opening day, the defending champions and hosts, Pakistan, will start their campaign against New Zealand in Karachi. Eight teams will compete in this marquee event. They are divided into two groups of four each.

Champions Trophy 2025: Players and Squads

Group A

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja.

Note: Bumrah’s fitness is still a concern. Either Harshit Rana or Varun Chakravarthy might be named as a replacement if Bumrah ultimately fails to get fit. 

Bangladesh: Nazmul Hossain Shanto (c), Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, MD Mahmud Ullah, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossai Emon, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana.

New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young.

Note: Rachin Ravindra suffered an injury during the first game of the ongoing tri-series in Pakistan. His participation might be in danger with the tournament is is just around the corner.   

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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.

Group B

Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Malik, Naveed Zadran.

Reserves: Darwish Rasooli, Nangyal Kharoti, Bilal Sami.

England: Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood.

Australia: Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa.

Note: Pat Cummins, the skipper, Mitchell Marsh, and Josh Hazlewood were ruled out due to injury concerns. Marcus Stoinis has announced a sudden retirement from the ODI format. So, all these replacements are going to be announced soon.  

South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen.

Champions Trophy 2025: Venues and Pitch Reports

Pakistan is the primary host of the tournament. Except for India's matches, all games will be played in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi. The venues are the National Stadium in Karachi, Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, and Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Due to political reasons, India refused to travel to Pakistan. After a mutual agreement, a hybrid model was confirmed. Under this model, India will play all their matches at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. If they reach the semi-finals, they will play in Dubai. The final will also be held in Dubai if they qualify for the final. Otherwise, the final will take place in Lahore.

The National Stadium in Karachi is known for batting-friendly conditions, with good pace and bounce for high-scoring matches. The Gaddafi Stadium also offers a true surface, allowing batters to play their shots freely. The Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium is usually a flat pitch but can become spin-friendly as the game progresses. 

Sometimes, it offers uneven bounce, making it tricky for both batters and bowlers. The Dubai International Cricket Stadium might assist seam bowlers early in the powerplay. However, the pitch tends to improve for batting as the game progresses.

Champions Trophy 2025: Schedule

19 Feb – Pakistan v New Zealand, National Stadium, Karachi

20 Feb – Bangladesh v India, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai

21 Feb – Afghanistan v South Africa, National Stadium, Karachi

22 Feb – Australia v England, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

23 Feb – Pakistan v India, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai

24 Feb - Bangladesh v New Zealand, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

25 Feb – Australia v South Africa, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

26 Feb – Afghanistan v England, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

27 Feb – Pakistan v Bangladesh, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

28 Feb – Afghanistan v Australia, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

1 Mar – South Africa v England, National Stadium, Karachi

2 Mar – New Zealand v India, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai

4 Mar – Semi-final 1, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai*

5 Mar – Semi-final 2, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore**

9 Mar – Final - Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore***

All matches start at 2:30 PM IST, and all day-night encounters

* Semi-final 1 will involve India if they qualify

**Semi-final 2 will involve Pakistan if they qualify

*** If India qualifies for the final it will be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai

Champions Trophy 2025: Where to Watch

Viewers in India can watch the tournament live on Star Sports Network and stream it on Disney+ Hotstar.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky247 India and download the Sky247 app to start betting today!