The highly anticipated Australia vs England game of the Champions Trophy 2025 promises to be an electrifying match, pitting two of the most powerful cricketing teams against each other in a struggle for dominance. Both teams have put together very strong teams, combining experience with new talent, and this promises to be a thrilling contest for cricket enthusiasts everywhere

• Match: AUS vs. ENG
• Date: February 22, 2025
• Time: 2:30 PM Local Time (IST)
• Venue: Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, Pakistan

Live streaming details:

TV Broadcast Details

Online Streaming Platforms

ALSO READ:AUS vs ENG Today Match Prediction – Who Will Win? | Match 04, ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Preview & Analysis

Australia playing xi

Travis Head, Matthew Short, Steve Smith (c), Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Hardie, Sean Abbott, Spencer Johnson, Adam Zampa

England playing xi

Ben Duckett, Phil Salt, Jamie Smith (wk), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (c), Liam Livingstone, Brydon Carse, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid.

India and England host their final One Day International (ODI) on February 12, 2025 today. The match will be held at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and start at 1:30 PM IST (Indian Standard Time. England will get at least one win in the 3-match series as India have clinched first 2 ties and now looking to avoid sweeps by England. 

Match Details:

• Date: 12th February, 2025
• Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
• Time: 1:30 PM IST

Live Streaming:

IN INDIA:

TV Broadcast: Star Sports Network

• English Commentary:

• Star Sports 2
• Star Sports 2 HD
• Star Sports 3

• Hindi Commentary:

• Sports 18 1
• Sports 18 1 HD
• Colors Cineplex
• Colors Cineplex HD

• Online Streaming: Disney+ Hotstar (app and website)

In the United States and Canada

• TV Broadcast: Willow TV
• Online Streaming: Willow TV App

In the United Kingdom

• TV Broadcast: Sky Sports Cricket
• Online Streaming: Sky Go App

In Australia

• TV Broadcast: Fox Sports
• Online Streaming: Kayo Sports

ALSO READ:IND vs ENG 3rd ODI, Match Prediction- Who Will Win Today?

Highlights: India lead the series after victories in the opening two ODIs. Captain Rohit Sharma plundered 100 runs in the second game and gave the team a confidence boost. Fans are also looking forward to Virat Kohli who is bang on the other end of getting to 14,000 ODI runs. 

India ODI squad:

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

England ODI squad:

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

India vs England's three-match ODI series is set to begin, while Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur will host the series opener this Thursday (February 6). England have confirmed their squad for the Nagpur ODI. 

After the hard experience in the recently concluded T20I series in the ongoing India tour, where England suffered a 4-1 series defeat, England are ready to begin their Bazball journey in the ODI format. It will be the first ODI for England under the head coach, Brendon McCullum. His Bazball theory has been criticized in the Test and T20I formats, and it will be interesting to see how the strategy works in the ODI format.

See Also: ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Umpire Nitin Menon unavailable for tournament

Joe Root returns in ODI

As expected, the 34-year-old England star Joe Root is set to return in the ODI format after more than a year gap. Root last time served for the English ODI side during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 when England faced Pakistan at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. It was also his last List A match. 

Gus Atkinson is still waiting for the ODI return

Meanwhile, the right-arm pacer Gus Atkinson, who last played an ODI in December 2023 against West Indies at Bridgetown, still has to wait for his ODI return.

England's Bazball will be tested in ODI series

During the recently concluded T20I series, English batters completely failed against the Indian spinners. The Indian cricket team is likely to maintain the spin-heavy theory against the dangerous English batters. Also, the Indian new-ball bowlers will again test the English top-order batters, who mostly failed in the T20I series. 

As India and England are ready to participate in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), starting on February 19, the three-match ODI series is an important series for the preparation. 

It will be England’s second ODI at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. Their first ODI at this venue was against the Netherlands during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, where England won by six wickets after successfully chasing the 293-run target. 

England's playing XI for the Nagpur ODI

Phil Salt (wk), Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (Captain), Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood

The T20I series has now come to a close between the India and England match, expectations are growing high for their coming ODI series when the two champion sides meet. The series of three ODI matches will have time to prepare for the Champions Trophy 2025, beginning on February 19 in Pakistan and Dubai. India dominated the T20I series, winning 4-1, as England failed to answer India's spin attack. Varun Chakravarthy left the English batters with no answers for his skill and variations.

The three-match ODI series between India and England starts on February 6 at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. The action will then shift to the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack for the second ODI on February 9. Finally, the series will conclude on February 12 at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. All matches will begin at 1:30 PM IST.

There are many players to look at in the three-match ODI series.

PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT IN IND vs ENG SERIES

1. Virat Kohli (IND)

Virat Kohli is 94 runs away from achieving the milestone of 14,000 ODI runs. Virat Kohli will become the quickest batter to reach 14,000 ODI runs. With the upcoming three-match ODI series against England, Kohli has a golden opportunity to set his name in the record books once again.

King played 3 ODIs since the World Cup 2023 against Australia. He has the greatest impact in the series watch out for his performance before the champions trophy.

2. Joe Root (ENG)

Joe Root took the ODI series against India as an important preparation for the Champions Trophy, which is scheduled to start on February 19 in Pakistan. As the excitement for the tournament grows, teams are turning their strategies. England, after losing the T20I series, is looking forward to getting back on track under Coach Brendon McCullum and making a strong statement in the 50-over format.

Root has been in the form of his Test cricket. Now, fans need to wait for Root to score in ODI format before the champion's trophy.

SEE ALSO: England vs West Indies Women's Series 2025: Schedule, Squads, Live Streaming—When & Where to Watch in India and How to Buy Tickets

3. Rohit Sharma (IND)

The captain is back in action after the loss in BGT. The Hit-man will make a big statement in the series before the champions trophy starts. Rohit played with great intent in World Cup and will looking the same in the champions trophy and the ODI series. If he gets going, he makes much impact to watch. Rohit's form is crucial for him and India.

Let's see him can he make the greatest intent in the series before the champions trophy?

4. Jos Buttler (ENG)

Following a 1-4 defeat in the T20I series, the England team captained by Jos Buttler will look to make a statement in the ODI series of their India tour. His attention need for England to make a strong comeback after a loss to India. He has been performing well over a year for England. But still, need a strong intent from him to win the ODI series to make a strong statement before the champions trophy. England's captain has the better strike to bat for long hours with scoring runs.

His impact will be crucial in the series against India.

5. Mohammad Shami (IND)

Mohammed Shami's performance value of impact to the Indian bowling unit in the ODI series is quite immense, primarily because of his experience, Average in economy, and control over swing. He can start games on the front foot and generate pressure till the end.

For a side like India,using Shami upon his return to action would most likely only strengthen their overall pace attack going into the rest of the matches.

His performance will impact the champion's trophy majorly.

SA20 League Explained: The Less Trivial Points System that makes truly Complex

South Africa not only has the most exciting cricket competition these days SA20 League but it is attracting world fans not just with its hot games but especially with a novel system of points. The SA20 Points table in it's South Africa points against such a league approach eschews that of most leagues.

What is the SA20 Points System

By default best team in SA20 wins the match with 4 points. Points can go up to 5 if the winning team overachieve in Net Run Rate (NRR) by more than +1.25 against N cases losing team 0 points in this situationNow when there is a valid loss, the standard amount of points is given to the runner up. Each time a match results, 2 points will be rewarded to both teams.Match ( Standard: The winning team gets 2 points, Losing team nil, tie 1 Point for each team )

Highlights (SA20 Points Table)

As of now, Paarl Royal is leading the SA20 league in the Points Table with 20 points after winning five out of seven matches, while the two-time champion Sunrisers Eastern Cape is second, with 19 points after winning four matches.

SA20 Points Table

Top Run scorer 

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James Neesham’s Drop Echoes Herschelle Gibbs’ Iconic 1999 Moment in SA20

In the SA20 2025 game, something really good happened with the teams Pretoria Capitals and Paarl Royals. James Neesham, who's a cricket player from New Zealand, did something that happened earlier at the 1999 World Cup by accident. Neesham dropped the ball just as Herschelle Gibbs did many years ago. It was something we will always remember because it was wonderful.

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The Moment of Misfortune

Joe Root was ready to hit the ball with the bat. Root smacked the ball and it zipped off to the side. Neesham thought he could catch it since it was the fifth time the player threw the ball. But when Neesham tried to grasp it, he could not catch it and it fell to the ground! At the start, Neesham acted as if he caught the ball, holding up his hands.But then everyone saw the ball on the ground and he felt unfathomably sad because he ruined. Oh no, he really thought he was going to catch it, but it fell right out!CPommie Mbangwa said something that made everyone remember an old cricket game from 1999. Mister Mbangwa said, he's made the same mistake as Herschelle Gibbs, which is about the time when Gibbs dropped the ball and ruined in the World Cup. Now, people are thinking about that major mistake because Mbangwa made them think of it.

🚨 ONE OF THE STRANGE MOMENT IN CRICKET 🚨

- Neesham re created Gibbs off 1999...!!! pic.twitter.com/a4kFOMqklw

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 25, 2025

Reminiscent Moment from the 1999 World Cup

In a major, important game in the World Cup of 1999, Steve Waugh from Australia was to bat and had 56 runs. Herschelle Gibbs, who played for South Africa, was able to catch the ball that Steve hit but he let it fall! Because Gibbs didn't understand it correctly, Steve continued playing. Steve's amazing playing after that helped Australia to win the game in a very thrilling manner.It was very unhappy for South Africa since that dropped ball is why they got knocked out of the World Cup. People still discuss that catch that got away.

Neesham’s Moment in the Spotlight

Joe Root was able to continue playing because Neesham missed catching the ball. Joe Root did very well and scored 78 points without getting out. His team, Paarl Royals, won the game by just 11 points against Pretoria Capitals. Joe Root's great performance was a major reason they won, and he made it tough for the other team to catch up.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has unveiled the final shortlists for the ICC Awards 2024, celebrating the exceptional performances of cricketers in various categories. These include the Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year, the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year, and the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year.

Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy: ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year

The nominees for this prestigious accolade feature some of the finest names in cricket.

• Harry Brook (England): Brook lit up the cricketing world with his explosive performances across all formats. He maintained an incredible average of over 50 in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is, showcasing his versatility and power hitting.
• Joe Root (England): Root had a phenomenal year in Tests, scoring more runs (1,556) and centuries (six) than any other batter. His form in the longest format has been nothing short of remarkable.
• Jasprit Bumrah (India): Bumrah shone as India’s pace spearhead, excelling in World Test Championship duels and leading India to victory in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. He was named Player of the Tournament, claiming 15 wickets at a staggering average of 8.24.
• Travis Head (Australia): Known for his flair, Head scored nearly 1,400 runs across all formats in 2024. As the top-ranked Men’s T20I batter, he aims to better his nomination from last year.

ALSO READ:Rohit Sharma on Rishabh Pant: Balancing Flair with Responsibility

Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy: ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year

This category honors the most outstanding women cricketers, with four deserving nominees.

• Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka): Athapaththu led from the front for Sri Lanka, amassing over 1,100 runs and taking 30 wickets across formats. She also guided Sri Lanka to their first Asia Cup victory in front of a jubilant home crowd.
• Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa): Wolvaardt had a sublime year, scoring over 1,500 runs and leading South Africa to their second consecutive Women’s T20 World Cup final.
• Amelia Kerr (New Zealand): Kerr excelled as an all-rounder, scoring 651 runs and taking 43 wickets. She was the Player of the Tournament at the Women’s T20 World Cup, where her performances were pivotal to her team’s success.
• Annabel Sutherland (Australia): The young star had a breakthrough year, smashing the fastest double-century in women’s Test history and contributing significantly with both bat and ball.

ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year

This category recognizes the best performers in the longest format of the game.

• Harry Brook (England): Brook scored 1,100 Test runs at an average of 55, including four centuries and a memorable triple-hundred in Multan.
• Joe Root (England): Root continued to dominate Test cricket, becoming England’s all-time highest run-scorer and reclaiming the top spot in the ICC Men’s Test Batter Rankings.
• Jasprit Bumrah (India): With 71 wickets at an average of 14.92, Bumrah was the leading wicket-taker in Tests. His fiery spells were key to India’s success against top teams like South Africa, England, and Australia.
• Kamindu Mendis (Sri Lanka): Mendis had a record-breaking year, scoring 1,049 runs at an average of 74.92. He became the first batter in history to hit a half-century in each of his first eight Tests and the fastest in 75 years to reach 1,000 Test runs.

These nominations showcase the remarkable talent and dedication of the players, highlighting their impact on international cricket. The winners, decided through votes from cricket experts and fans, will be announced in early 2025.

🚨 THE COMPLETE LIST OF NOMINEES FOR ICC AWARDS 2024. 🚨 pic.twitter.com/NZRvQhT9lO

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) December 30, 2024

Hosts New Zealand suffered a record margin Test defeat against England at Wellington, which ended England’s 16-year-long wait for a Test series win in New Zealand. This crucial Test series defeat also hurt New Zealand’s qualification hope for the 2023-2025 ICC World Test Championship final. 

Joe Root scored 36th Test century

Day three of the Wellington Test started with England’s second innings total of 378/5. Former English Test captain Joe Root climbed to the joint fifth position of most Test centuries with the legendary Indian batter Rahul Dravid by hitting his 36th Test century. 

Root and captain Ben Stokes had a 100-run partnership for the sixth wicket. After Root was gone for 106 runs in 130 balls (11 fours), Stokes declared the innings at 49 not out when England scored 427/6.

See Also: Australia bounce back in the series with 10-wicket win

England set 583-run target 

Hosts New Zealand had to chase the mammoth 583-run target in the fourth innings to win the Test and level the series. The Blackcaps lost their first four wickets for only 59 runs, as the opener Devon Conway (0), Kane Williamson (4), and Rachin Ravindra (6) were dismissed for single digits, while the other opener and skipper Tom Latham was out for 24 runs. 

Tom Blundell scored century

While Daryl Mitchell (32) and Nathan Smith (42) provided some fights, wicketkeeper-batter Tom Blundell hit his fifth Test century. New Zealand were all out for 259 runs, where Blundell scored 115 off 102 balls with 13 fours and five sixes. 

English captain Ben Stokes bagged three wickets in 2.2 overs after conceding only five runs. Chris Woakes (2/20), Brydon Carse (2/53), and Shoaib Bashir (2/110) got two wickets each. Gus Atkinson, who took four wickets during New Zealand’s first innings (4/31), including a hat-trick, picked up one wicket in the fourth innings (1/68).  

New Zealand suffered their largest home Test defeat

England won the Test by 323 runs. It was New Zealand’s largest home Test defeat by runs. Their previous record was losing by 299 runs against Pakistan in the 2001 Auckland Test. Meanwhile, it was the Blackcaps’ third-largest Test defeat by runs, just behind the 372-run defeat against the hosts India (2021 Wankhede Test) and the 358-run defeat against the hosts South Africa (2007 Johannesburg Test). 

England won the Test series in New Zealand after 16 years

As England are leading the three-match Test series by 2-0 with one to go, they have already secured the away Test series. Previously, England won a Test series in New Zealand in 2008 (by 2-1). While their 2013 tour ended in a draw, hosts New Zealand won the next two series in 2018 and 2019. Before the ongoing Test series, England previously toured New Zealand in 2023, which ended in a draw. Finally, England won a Test series in New Zealand after 16 years. 

Runs galore in the first Test at Christchurch as England dominated the Black Caps and registered a thumping victory on the back of a breathtaking knock from Harry Brook. Brook's counter-attacking 171 set the foundation for an emphatic eight-wicket win in the second innings as England managed to chase down 104 in just under 15 overs.

After playing that match-winning innings, the 25-year-old Englishman has moved up by two spots to no.2 position in the ICC Test Batting rankings. And by doing so, the dazzling top-order English batsman has bridged the gap between him and Joe Root who is currently at the top of the table with a rating of 895. Moreover, after bettering his rating to 854, the difference between him and Root is now down to just 41.

See also: New Zealand receive another huge blow in WTC points table

Yashasvi Jaiswal loses his no.2 position to Harry Brook

Brook has emerged as someone who can go close to challenging Joe Root's dominance at the top. Jaiswal's heroics at Perth in the second innings (161) propelled the dashing opener to the second position. However, the considerable gap between the first and the second Test opened a window of opportunity for Brook to make some rapid gains.

Following Brook's blistering batting show in Hagley Oval, Jaiswal was displaced from the no.2 position and slipped two more spots down the rankings at no.4. The start Kiwi batter Kane Williamson managed to hold on to the third position by scoring an impressive 93 & 61 upon his comeback. 

 

 

 

 

 

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Gains for the other batters

Apart from the ongoing BGT 2024-25 & England-New Zealand Test series, the recently concluded first Test between South Africa and Sri Lanka in Durban also produced some extraordinary batting performances. 

The Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma led his side from the front by playing a gutsy innings of 70 on a difficult seaming wicket followed by a sensational ton in the second innings which virtually decided the match in his side's favor. On the back of that performance, Bavuma managed to break into the top 10 of the ICC Men's Test batting rankings.

Tristan Stubbs' brilliant 122 in the second innings catapulted him by 29 spots to no.42 position in the batting table. On the other hand, Dinesh Chandimal of Sri Lanka rose by two places to the 17th spot as a result of his resilient second-innings 83.

Star England batter Joe Root surpassed batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar as the leading run-scorer in the fourth innings of Test cricket during England's stunning eight-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first Test at Hagley Oval. Root, playing his milestone 150th Test, scored a brisk 22 off 15 balls as England chased down a modest target of 104 in just 12.4 overs, securing an convincing win.

Joe Root achieves a feat

However, Joe Root now leads the charts for the most runs in the fourth innings with 1,630 runs, with legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who smashed 1,625 runs, now second on the list. Alastair Cook and Graeme Smith share the third spot, each scoring 1,611 runs as well. WI great Shivnarine Chanderpaul placed at fifth in the list with 1,580 runs as well.

However, Brydon Carse, in his third Test, bowled his career-best spell of 6 for 42, completing a rare overseas ten-wicket haul with his match figures of 10 for 106 as well. Carse's bowling then dismantled New Zealand's lower order on the fourth day, despite resistance from Daryl Mitchell, whose steady 84 delayed England's win. Jacob Bethell, making his debut, scored an unbeaten 50 off 37 balls, including eight boundaries and a six. His composed knock saw England win, fittingly with a single to deep square leg as well.

Openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett got out very early, but Joe Root and Bethell ensured there were no further dismissals as well. Duckett had earlier set the stage with a quick 27 off 18 balls, while Harry Brook, who smashed 171 in the first innings, was not required to bat again. New Zealand started the day at 155 for 6 with a slight lead of four runs and faced a tough battle against England's relentless bowling as well.

SEE ALSO: PCB accepts hybrid hosting model for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Report

England register a convincing win

Tim Southee's cameo, featuring two sixes, and Mitchell's determined knock showed some hope. However, Carse and Gus Atkinson removed the tail, with Chris Woakes taking a stunning catch to dismiss Mitchell and seal the innings at 254 as well.

However, during the match, England captain Ben Stokes left the field with stiffness in his lower back during the morning session. Though he later reassured that he would be fit for the second Test in Wellington later on.

Notably, England head into the second Test in Wellington with a 1-0 lead in the three-match Test series as well. With Root's milestone, Carse's breakthrough, and Bethell's dream debut, England seem to carry their winning momentum. New Zealand, on the other hand, must regroup to work on the loopholes the series as veteran Tim Southee, playing his final home series, hopes to have a memorable farewell.

The second Test will begin on Friday.