Even though the ICC Champions Trophy is still a ways off, there is no shortage of headlines, with Pakistan wanting to host the competition solely on their own and India refusing to go to Pakistan. Pakistan has not hosted any significant ICC tournaments since the Wills Cup in 1996.
But this time around it appears potential despite the uncertainty. The PCB has suggested a schedule that calls for 15 matches spread over 20 days, from February 19 to March 9. The India vs. Pakistan match is scheduled to take place on March 1.
There is a lot of discussion and conjecture around this subject, especially with regard to the teams that may take home the title. There will be eight teams in the competition, but only one will win. Since no teams have revealed their lineups and several bilateral events have not yet taken place, it is still too early to make any predictions, but let's look at three teams who we think have a good chance of taking home the championship.
Teams that may win the Champions Trophy 2025
Pakistan
India
India should be on the map as the 2024 T20 World Cup champions and the 2023 50-over World Cup runners-up. Even though the squad suffered heartache in the 50-over World Cup final on November 19, 2023, against Australia, there is no question that India emerged victorious if we look at their performances in the One-Day Internationals (ODIs) last year and focus on the two biggest competitions, the Asia Cup and the World Cup 2023. It's also true that the team is gradually changing as players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhishek Sharma, and Riyan Parag attempt to contribute. It wouldn't be shocking if any of these young athletes were to compete in the 2025 Champions Trophy.
With two ODIs against Sri Lanka already played, India has just six ODIs left until the Champions Trophy in 2019. This is a historic occasion. They will play just three additional matches against England in February aside from this series. In addition to Mohammed Siraj, Hardik Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah, India most definitely needs a third pacer.
Harshit Rana, who is travelling with the squad for the ODI series against Sri Lanka, may be it. With such a potent hitting order, the squad appears quite strong. It is interesting to note that India, who has proposed a hybrid tournament format, has not confirmed its participation for political reasons. If the Men in Blue compete in the Champions Trophy in 2025, it will be intriguing to watch how things work out for them.