Tag: Pakistan vs India

Former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh believes Pakistan hold the upper hand against India ahead of their much-anticipated ICC Champions Trophy 2025 showdown in Dubai on February 23.

In a recent interview, Yuvraj pointed out that Pakistan’s extensive experience of playing in Dubai gives them a key advantage over their arch-rivals.

“I actually think Pakistan has an advantage because they have a base in Dubai. They have played a lot of cricket there and understand the conditions well,” he said.

He emphasized that an India-Pakistan clash isn’t just about big names but about handling pressure and adapting to the situation.

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“You talk about match-winners—yes, I agree with Shahid Afridi that we have more match-winners. But I believe that even if Pakistan has fewer match-winners, one player can still take the game away,” Yuvraj Singh added.

“The game is not just about match-winners; it’s about playing in the moment and not letting expectations get the better of you. The team that does this better will win.”

It’s worth noting that Pakistan are looking to bounce back after a disappointing 60-run loss to New Zealand in their opening match in Karachi.

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Meanwhile, India started their Champions Trophy campaign with a convincing win against Bangladesh as they comfortably chased a 229-run target against Bangladesh, thanks to a brilliant 101-run knock by Shubman Gill.

Historically, Pakistan has a slight edge over India in the Champions Trophy, winning three out of their five meetings.

Their last encounter in the tournament was the 2017 final, where Sarfaraz Ahmed’s side produced a dominant performance, thrashing India by 180 runs to lift their first-ever Champions Trophy title.

READ: Champions Trophy 2025: Former cricketer names Pakistan’s ‘biggest threat’ against India

Former India spinner Piyush Chawla has identified middle-order batter Salman Ali Agha as the biggest weapon of Pakistan against the Men in Blue ahead of their much-awaited ICC Champions Trophy 2025 clash.

Speaking in a recent interview, Chawla highlighted Salman Agha’s attacking approach, which was on full display during Pakistan’s record-breaking run chase against South Africa in the recently concluded tri-nation ODI series.

The right-hander also played a crucial role in Pakistan’s opening game of the Champions Trophy, scoring a brisk 42 off 28 balls against New Zealand under pressure in Karachi.

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“The biggest threat from the Pakistan team is Salman Ali Agha because he’s the kind of player who can change the course of a game on his day,” Piyush Chawla said.

“He’s an attacking batsman, and we have seen what he is capable of. When Pakistan was chasing 350-odd runs against South Africa, the kind of hundred he got was remarkable.

“He’s an aggressive player who can turn the game around.”

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However, Piyush Chawla backed India to have the upper hand in the much-anticipated fixture, citing their strong record against Pakistan in ICC events and their recent form.

“Based on form, India has the edge because, in ICC tournaments, especially in the one-day format, India has performed well against Pakistan,” he noted.

“Pakistan does have a slight advantage in the Champions Trophy, but looking at the current form—the way the Indian team is playing and how Pakistan struggled against New Zealand—India has a better chance.”

READ: Former Australian great predicts winner of Pakistan-India Champions Trophy clash

Pakistan and India are set to clash in a blockbuster Group A match in the ongoing ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 on Sunday in Dubai.

Before the much-awaited match, let’s take a look at five controversial moments on the pitch between the arch-rivals in ODI cricket.

Javed Miandad’s kangaroo jump

Pakistan’s Javed Miandad always found a way of unsettling his opponents with his batting or sledging, and a match against India at the 1992 World Cup was no different.

Excessive appealing by Indian wicketkeeper Kiran More seemed to have irked Miandad during Pakistan’s chase in Sydney. The batter had a word with More, who was constantly chatting behind the stumps, before taking guard on a delivery.

Later, after completing a cheeky run, Miandad hopped like a kangaroo in a bid to imitate the glovesman in his appeals. Commentators and fans saw the funny side but not Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin, who looked visibly furious at Miandad’s antics.

Venkatesh Prasad’s revenge

Opener Aamer Sohail was steering Pakistan’s chase in the 1996 World Cup quarter-final when a moment of rashness from the left-handed batter cost his team the game.

Chasing 289 for victory in Bengaluru, Sohail and fellow opener Saeed Anwar made the team race to 84 in 10 overs before Anwar departed.

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Sohail kept up the charge as he hit Indian medium-pacer Venkatesh Prasad for a boundary and sledged the bowler with a finger pointed in the direction of the shot.

Prasad hit back, bowling Sohail next ball to a huge roar from the crowd and a send-off gesture from the bowler to derail Pakistan’s chase.

Inzamam-ul-Haq attacks fan

Pakistan’s usually cool Inzamam-ul-Haq infamously confronted an Indian fan in the stands at a match in 1997 in Toronto and the incident became a talking point for years to come.

Inzamam was standing at the boundary when an India supporter heckled the Pakistan batter with chants of “Aloo” (Potato), referring to the cricketer’s bulky frame.

When the calls became louder on a megaphone, Inzamam directed one of his players to bring a bat from the dressing room and was soon inside the stands to go after the heckler before security intervened.

Inzamam was reprimanded for the act and years later said the chants were personal and abusive.

Gautam Gambhir-Shahid Afridi trade abuse

India batter Gautam Gambhir — now their coach — smacked Pakistan spinner Shahid Afridi for a boundary in a match in 2007 and words were exchanged before the two nearly came to blows.

Gambhir and Afridi refused to back down after some verbal volleys and the batter and bowler collided — seemingly on purpose — in between a run.

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The two again had a go at each other with expletives clearly visible in dramatic TV images, before the on-field umpire intervened to douse the fire.

Gambhir and Afridi have kept up the rivalry even after retiring and indulge in ugly exchanges on social media on cricket and politics.

Shoaib Akhtar triggers Harbhajan Singh

Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar never backed down from a fight but in a duel with Harbhajan Singh at the 2010 Asia Cup, the India spinner had the last laugh.

Akhtar bowled a dot ball to tailender Harbhajan in India’s chase and threw a few sledges, but that only triggered the batter to hit a six for an India victory in the final over off Mohammad Amir. Harbhajan celebrated wildly in front of Akhtar, who told him where to go.

Akhtar and Harbhajan recently playfully re-enacted the moment on TV in a promotion video for the Champions Trophy.

READ: Mohammad Amir reveals his conversation with Fakhar Zaman after injury blow

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has made a bold statement about the result of his country’s upcoming match against Pakistan in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025.

The ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy will kick off on 19 February with host and defending champions Pakistan taking on New Zealand in the curtain-raiser in Karachi.

Meanwhile, the high-octane clash between arch-rivals Pakistan and India will be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on February 23.

Harbhajan Singh predicted India to win single-handedly while calling it an ‘overhyped’ match. The former spinner asserted that India is a much stronger team.

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“India and Pakistan. You heard it right, this is an overhyped match. Because there is nothing in it,” he said. “India is a very strong team, while Pakistan is an inconsistent team as they recently lost to New Zealand at home.”

“Pakistan’s team seems to be a little weak. Because apart from Babar and Rizwan, there is no other batsman in that team. If you look at their team in bowling they are not in form.”

Harbhajan also expressed confidence in India’s squad, while predicting that this team can win the Champions Trophy 2025.

“In the match between India and Pakistan, Pakistan is far behind, and India looks like a team that can win this Champions Trophy,” he stated.

Squads for ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.

READ: Mohammad Amir casts doubts over Haris Rauf’s Champions Trophy participation

Former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has predicted the winner of the high-octane ICC Champions Trophy 2025 clash between arch-rivals Pakistan and India.

The ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy will kick off on 19 February with host and defending champions Pakistan taking on New Zealand in the curtain-raiser in Karachi’s National Bank Stadium.

The eight-team tournament will consist of 15 matches over 19 days and will take place in Pakistan and Dubai.

The arch-rivals Pakistan and India have been placed in Group A alongside New Zealand and Bangladesh. The much-anticipated clash between arch-rivals will be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on February 23.

Shoaib Akhtar, during a media interaction in Dubai, predicted that Pakistan will defeat India in their group match in the Champions Trophy.

“I’m hopeful that Pakistan will defeat India on February 23. In fact, I believe that both Pakistan and India should also meet in the final of the tournament,” he predicted.

“If Pakistan defeats India and New Zealand in the Champions Trophy, the Green Shirts will have already won half the tournament.”

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He also shared his prediction for the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy.

“I believe Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan will reach the semi-finals of the 2025 Champions Trophy,” he stated.

“If Afghanistan’s team demonstrates maturity and their batsmen show patience, they could deliver surprising results.”

In Pakistan, Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi will be the three venues to host tournament play. Each Pakistan venue will feature three group games apiece, with Lahore hosting the second semi-final.

Lahore will also host the final on 9 March, unless India qualify, in which case it will be played in Dubai.

Both the semi-finals and the final will have reserve days. The three group matches involving India, as well as the first semi-final, will be played in Dubai.

READ: ICC unveils nominees for Player of the Month awards for January 2025

The tickets for the highly anticipated ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 clash between arch-rivals Pakistan and India were reportedly sold out within minutes after online sales for the Dubai-leg matches went live.

The overwhelming demand for Pakistan-India match tickets saw around 140,000 cricket fans rush to the ticketing website in an attempt to secure their seats for the blockbuster encounter.

The much-awaited match of the tournament is set to take place at the iconic Dubai International Cricket Stadium on February 23.

Ticket prices for the much-awaited fixture started at AED 500, soaring up to a staggering AED 12,500. For the remaining three matches scheduled in Dubai, the lowest ticket price was AED 125.

The Champions Trophy clash between Pakistan and India reportedly generated AED 45.6 million (approximately Rs 3.4 billion) in ticket sales, with the stadium’s 25,000-seat capacity being filled in record time.

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Meanwhile, the tickets for all Dubai-hosted matches of the Champions Trophy 2025 were completely sold out, amassing a total of AED 88.5 million.

Back in Pakistan, where the remaining 10 matches of the tournament will be staged, the response was just as overwhelming.

Fans flocked to designated ticketing centres in large numbers, eager to grab seats for their preferred fixtures in what promises to be one of the biggest cricketing events on home soil.

The thrilling two-week competition will see the world’s top eight teams put it all on the line in 15 intense matches across 19 days, with every match counting in the pursuit of the iconic white jackets.

READ: Sri Lanka star batter announces retirement amid Australia Test series

Former Pakistan captain Moin Khan has criticised the national team’s overly friendly attitude towards the players of India on the field, calling it “unfathomable” and a “sign of weakness.”

Speaking on a local show, Moin didn’t hold back his disappointment over how modern-day cricketers interact with their Indian counterparts during high-pressure matches.

“I just don’t get it when I watch Pakistan and India matches these days, as Indian players come into the crease, our players check their bats, pat them, have a friendly talk,” he said.

Moin Khan stressed the importance of maintaining “certain boundaries” as professionals, revealing that in his playing days, seniors always advised them to stay focused and avoid unnecessary interactions.

“When you get too friendly, they see it as a sign of weakness,” he warned.

The former wicketkeeper-batter also admitted that one of his biggest regrets was never beating India in a World Cup match.

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It’s worth noting that the arch-rivals Pakistan and India are set to lock horns in the much-anticipated clash of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on February 23 in Dubai.

The ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy will kick off in Karachi on 19 February, while the final is scheduled for 9 March.

The eight-team tournament will consist of 15 matches over 19 days and will take place in Pakistan and Dubai.

In Pakistan, Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi will be the three venues to host tournament play. Each Pakistan venue will feature three group games apiece, with Lahore hosting the second semi-final.

Lahore will also host the final on 9 March, unless India qualify, in which case it will be played in Dubai. Both the semi-finals and the final will have reserve days.

READ: Former pacer warns about decline of fast bowling in Pakistan

Pakistan top-order batter Ahmed Shehzad has suggested an unconventional solution to restore cricketing ties between his home country and arch-rival India amid the ongoing political standoff.

Shehzad, known for his bold and blunt remarks, suggested building a stadium at the border between Pakistan and India, allowing players to participate without officially crossing into each other’s territories.

“I suggested the idea of building a stadium by the border. One gate would be towards India, the other gate would be towards Pakistan. The players would come from the respective gates and play,” he suggested during a podcast.

However, he didn’t shy away from taking a sarcastic jab at the hurdles such an arrangement might face, especially from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Indian government.

“But even then there would be issues for the BCCI and their government. When their players come to the field by our side, they would need visas which they would not get,” Ahmed Shehzad remarked.

The unique proposal emerged in the wake of a recent standoff between the two countries, sparked by India’s decision to decline a visit to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

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Initially, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was resolute in its intention to host the entire tournament on Pakistani soil.

However they later announced a reciprocal stance: if India chose not to travel to Pakistan, then Pakistan would not send its team for any events organized in India.

Consequently, the ICC confirmed on December 19 that the Champions Trophy 2025 will be played with a hybrid model, which will see India playing their matches at a neutral venue.

The hybrid model has been approved for the ICC event cycle from 2024 to 2027, meaning both countries will play their matches at a neutral venue in events hosted by either nation.

It is worth noting that India has not travelled to Pakistan since the Asia Cup in 2008 due to the long-standing political tensions between the two neighbouring countries.

In contrast, Pakistan has made four trips to India in the last 16 years. Their most recent visit was last year for the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023.

READ: Champions Trophy: Javed Miandad opens up on ICC’s ‘hybrid model’ decision

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday confirmed the hybrid model for the Champions Trophy 2025, which will be hosted by Pakistan, with India playing their matches at a neutral venue.

Earlier today, a report from ESPNcricinfo revealed that the hybrid model has received approval for the entire ICC event cycle spanning from 2024 to 2027.

The ICC has now officially confirmed the development through a press release.

“ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 to be played across Pakistan and a neutral venue,” the apex cricket body announced.

“India and Pakistan matches hosted by either country at ICC Events during the 2024-2027 rights cycle will be played at a neutral venue, the ICC Board confirmed on Thursday, 19 December.”

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“This will apply to the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 (hosted by Pakistan), set to be played in February and March 2025, as well as the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 (hosted by India) and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (hosted by India and Sri Lanka).”

The ICC also confirmed that Pakistan will host the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028, the first event of the next event cycle. Similar to the current cycle, India will not travel to Pakistan for the 2028 event.

“It was also announced that the PCB has been awarded hosting rights of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028, where neutral venue arrangements will also apply,” the press release further stated.

“The schedule for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is set to be confirmed soon, with Pakistan aiming to defend the title they won in 2017.”

READ: ‘Hybrid model’ approved for Champions Trophy 2025: reports

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has taken a significant step towards resolving the long-standing India-Pakistan stalemate by approving a hybrid model for the upcoming Champions Trophy scheduled for 2025.

This breakthrough follows a proposal from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) put forth on December 2, which introduced an innovative approach dubbed the ‘fusion formula‘.

Under this new arrangement, India, as they wanted, would be playing their matches at a neutral venue during the Pakistan-hosted Champions Trophy. In return, Pakistan will also compete at neutral venues during future ICC events that are set to be hosted in India.

According to a report from ESPNcricinfo, this hybrid model has received approval for the entire ICC event cycle spanning from 2024 to 2027.

“The ICC have finally reached a breakthrough in the 2025 Champions Trophy impasse, with a hybrid model agreed upon that will see India’s matches in the eight-team event taking place at a neutral venue,” the report stated.

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“In return, Pakistan’s matches with India in ICC events hosted by India will also take place at a neutral venue.

“ESPNcricinfo has seen a resolution with details of the agreement, and which is expected to undergo an ICC board vote, in which during the 2024-2027 event cycle, all matches involving India in an event hosted in Pakistan will be played at a neutral venue, and in return, all matches involving Pakistan in an event hosted by India will be played at a neutral venue.”

Pakistan will not be travelling to India for the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 and the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by Sri Lanka.

It’s important to note that this hybrid model is also applicable to the Women’s T20 World Cup 2028, the first tournament of the next event cycle, which has now been awarded to Pakistan.

READ: South Africa suffer major blow as key player ruled out of Pakistan ODIs