Champions Trophy fever starts from today where title host Pakistan taking on the challengers New Zealand. Its a big game for Pakistan as its their first match of the tournament and they are the one who are hosting the tournament. The fans of Pakistan would be hoping their team would inaugrate the match with a win. 

Pakistan won the Champions Trophy title in 2017 led by Sarfaraz Khan,defeating their arch rivals India by the margin of 180 runs thanks to the innings of Fakhar Zaman who played extraordinary in that final scoring 116 of 108 balls which clearly depicted the huge difference between both the team. Due to Covid pandemic Champions Trophy was cancelled due to its orginate date. 

Read More : New Zealand Gets Another Setback Before Champions Trophy

Rizwan Gearing Up The Tone

ICC enclaved that the Champions Trophy will be held in 2025. Champions Trophy is played between top 8 teams who comes in ICC rankings. Pakistan are the hosts for the current Champions Trophy who are hosting the tournament after 14 long years. Due to major incident in 2009,International avoided travelling Pakistan. After a huge talk and stability ICC has awarded Pakistan to host the Champions Trophy. 

Its been 8 long years since Sarfaraz won the trophy way back on 2017 and after that there have been lot of changes in the team and now wicketkeeper Rizwan leading the current champion side. Mohammad Rizwan in his recent statment depicted that its been huge honour for him to represent Pakistan as captain. As title holder they will play at their best and will ensure that they will retain the trophy back. Pakistan is playing some exceptional cricket and will never dissapoint our fans at any cost. 

The Pathway To The Trophy

Pakistan have tried to get as maximum players who played the earlier edition. Fakhar Zaman remains top of their opening slot and prime member who gave the important glory to them. But still there are concerns rather than him. If you see recent scenario their main batsman Babar Azam is looking out of form. There are few concerns in bowling department too as they are leaking too much of runs at the end of overs. 

Recently Pakistan hosted a tri nation tournament between Pakistan, New Zealand and South Africa where the team played well but they couldn't manage to win the final as New Zealand won the final comfortably. Though captain Rizwan showed glimse of his form but alone he can't keep the fight along. They have lost the warm up match against New Zealand too which shows some worrying signs but Pakistan has the stability to produce a good match. 

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 The National stadium Karachi going to be full packed today as the champions Pakistan will take on New Zealand today at 2.30 Pm. 

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

New Zealand squard : Mitchell Santner (captain), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway (wicketkeeper), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham (wicketkeeper), Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young

Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Afridi has reportedly played one of the matches gives a duck to the captain Babar Azam.The warm-up match for the tri-nation ICC champions Trophy 2025
This happened in the first over of the game. Afridi was a fast bowler and so accurate that his ball went straight through Babar Azam's defense and straight to the stumps. So, this victory on the initial day excited all the cricket fans and proved what level Shaheen was performing at before all these big games.

A video of this dismissal soon went viral on social media as fans reacted. Some people commended Shaheen for his match-winning bowling, while others were to see the star man Babar Azam getting dismissed without scoring a single run.This practice match became an important activity in Pakistan's training, sharpening its players before hard international teams faced them. This early dismissal was unexpected for Babar Azam, but again, it spoke of the brilliance of Shaheen Afridi in troubling the best batsmen.

Shaheen Afridi dismissed Babar Azam for duck in the practice match.pic.twitter.com/JfeZ7CTjZr

— 𝙎𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙞 (@CallMeSheri1) February 4, 2025

The Pakistani team will next play in the tri-nation series with teams like New Zealand and South Africa. Cricket fans are filled with eagerness to see how Babar Azam and his teammates will do against these strong competitors.

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ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad of Pakistan: Full Squad confirmed
Pakistan ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad with all names released, carrying the old and new
The squad is aiming to improve on the positives, showcasing a pack of run-getters in attack and all-rounder versatile as well with a strong quicks bowling attack

Full Squad 

• Mohammad Rizwan (Captain) : The wicketkeeper-batsman brings stability and consistency, both with the bat and behind the stumps.
• Babar Azam: A top-order batter, known for his calm and composed performances, he will be key to Pakistan's success.
• Fakhar Zaman: The explosive opener who has previously played a crucial role in Pakistan's victory in the 2017 Champions Trophy final.
• Faheem Ashraf: All-rounder, a crucial player with the ball and bat, offering balance to the team.
• Khushdil Shah: A hard-hitting middle-order batsman, known for his ability to finish games.
• Salman Ali Agha: A versatile all-rounder who can play important roles both with the bat and the ball.
• Usman Khan: A quick bowler with the ability to be a potent game-changer through his pace and his ability to pick wickets.
  
• Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed: Most crucial for middle overs, especially when it comes to spinning conditions.
  
• Haris Rauf: The quickest of the bowlers and crucial in the powerplay/dead of the night both overs for crucial wickets.
  
• Hasnain Mohammad: A young gun with a pace to burn, always likes to get his powder going.
  
• Naseem Shah: Pakistan's upcoming prodigy with a lit bit of everything so has the chance to get a breakthrough in all conditions.
  
• Shaheen Shah Afridi: another of the best left-arm paces in world cricket his all-around ability to bowl fast and accurately will be key.
  
• Kamran Ghulam: Talented lower-order batsman adding some more quality technique to the middle order.
  
• Saud Shaheen Shakeel: The other middle-order batsman of quality and with the potential to anchor middle overs.
  
• Tayyab Tahir: More stitch in the batting department to give the team some more options.

ICC Champions Trophy 2️⃣0️⃣1️⃣7️⃣ winners announce squad for the 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣5️⃣ event 🏆✨

How will you show your support for the Pakistan team❓#ChampionsTrophy | #WeHaveWeWill pic.twitter.com/zDYPFuqzBU

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) January 31, 2025

Pakistan squad: 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.

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In an exhilarating finale at Edgbaston, Birmingham, the India Champions triumphed over the Pakistan Champions in a one-sided affair during the World Championship of Legends (WCL) final. This much-anticipated clash brought together cricket legends from both sides, culminating in a victory for the Indian team led by the dynamic Yuvraj Singh.

WCL 2024 winning moments

In a heartfelt video, Irfan Pathan credited Yuvraj Singh for his leadership. Pathan highlighted how Yuvraj’s strategic decisions and team management led them to victory. The comments from other players and cricketing experts echoed similar sentiments, praising Yuvraj’s captaincy and the team’s overall performance.

See Also: Yuvraj Singh reveals his all-time XI – No spot for MS Dhoni!

In a video uploaded by Irfan Pathan on social media handles, he said, “Yuvraj Singh brought this team together. He clearly told me that he did not want me to bowl in the tournament. In fact, he wanted to see sixes with my bat. However, today they bowled me 3 overs.”

Match overview

Pakistan Champions’ captain Younis Khan won the toss and chose to bat first, hoping to set a challenging target for the Indian team. On the other hand, India’s strategy revolved around a disciplined bowling attack, aiming to restrict Pakistan to a manageable score.

First Innings: Pakistan champions batting

The innings started with a setback for Pakistan as opener Sharjeel Khan was dismissed for 12 runs off 10 balls by Anureet Singh at the end of the second over. This early wicket put pressure on the Pakistani side, which was somewhat alleviated by a promising partnership between Kamran Akmal and Sohaib Maqsood.

Despite the promising start, Pakistan’s innings faced hurdles as Vinay Kumar dismissed Sohaib Maqsood on the last ball of the fifth over. This wicket marked the beginning of a series of consistent losses for Pakistan, preventing them from gaining significant momentum.

Sohail Tanvir’s late efforts provided some respite for the Pakistan Champions. His aggressive batting helped push the total to a respectable 156 for 6. Tanvir’s contribution was crucial in ensuring Pakistan had a fighting chance.

Anureet Singh was the standout bowler for India, taking 3 wickets for 43 runs in his 4 overs. His performance was instrumental in disrupting Pakistan’s batting lineup.

Second Innings: India champions chase

Chasing 157, the India Champions got off to a steady start. The openers laid a solid foundation, which was built upon by Ambati Rayudu and Yusuf Pathan. Their contributions ensured that India remained on track during the chase.

Yuvraj Singh’s leadership was pivotal. His batting was a blend of caution and aggression, guiding the team through crucial phases of the match. Yuvraj’s strategic approach and timely boundaries kept the required run rate within reach.

Irfan Pathan, known for his all-round abilities, played an unexpected role by bowling three overs despite being primarily included for his batting prowess. His contribution with the ball added an extra edge to India’s performance.

The match concluded with India Champions comfortably reaching the target, lifting the prized WCL trophy. The final moments saw the team celebrating their hard-fought victory, with fans and players rejoicing in unison.

AAC vs PNC Match Preview

On July 3, there will be two exciting matchups to kick off the World Championship of Legends 2024. At Edgbaston Stadium, the second game will pit Australia against the champions of Pakistan. Notably, this event, which features retired and uncontracted cricket legends, will provide cricket fans with an amazing experience. In the meanwhile, strong players like Aaron Finch and reliable Shaun Marsh lead the Australian team, which is captained by the feisty Brett Lee. However, the Pakistani team, captained by all-rounder Shahid Afridi, features legendary players with depth and strategic acumen in Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq.

AAC vs PNC Match Details

Australia Champions vs Pakistan Champions – 2nd Match, World Championship Legends 2024

Venue: Edgbaston, Birmingham

Date & Time: 03rd July 2024 at 10:30 PM IST 

Live Streaming: FanCode

AAC vs PNC Venue Stats

AAC vs PNC Pitch Report

The Edgbaston is an excellent T20 cricket venue, with good playing situations and facilities that provide an enjoyable experience for both players and spectators. Notably, batters can increase the game’s score this time.

AAC vs PNC Weather Report

There is a 20% chance of rain on match day. It will be overcast, and the temperature will be around 20 degrees.

AAC vs PNC Last Five Matches

AAC vs PNC Head-to-Head Stats

Injury News

No Injury. Will be added when there is an update.

Also Read: BCCI reveals three changes in India squad for Zimbabwe tour

AAC vs PNC Probable Playing XIs:

Pakistan Champions Probable Playing XIs

Umar Akmal(wk), Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Aamer Yamin, Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Abdur Rehman, Sohail Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz

Australia Champions Probable Playing XIs

Ben Dunk(wk), Brad Haddin, Tim Paine, Aaron Finch, Callum Ferguson, Shaun Marsh, Daniel Christian, Ben Cutting, Brett Lee, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Xavier Doherty

Topmost Picks for AAC vs PNC Dream11 Prediction:

Top Picks – Pakistan Champions

Top Picks – Australia Champions

• Aaron Finch – Australia’s star cricketer Aaron Finch seems to have the great option and he can smash Pakistan bowlers easily in the game. One should go with him for sure.
• Brett Lee – Aussie star bowler can dismantle Pakistan’s batting line up very easily so one should definitely go with him.

Suggested Playing XI N0.1 for AAC vs PNC Dream11 Team:

Umar Akmal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Aaron Finch, Shoaib Malik(C), Shaun Marsh, Daniel Christian(VC), Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, Brett Lee, Nathan Coulter-Nile

Suggested Playing XI N0.2 for AAC vs PNC Dream11 Team:

Umar Akmal, Ben Dunk, Misbah-ul-Haq, Aaron Finch(C), Shoaib Malik, Shaun Marsh, Daniel Christian, Shahid Afridi(VC), Wahab Riaz, Brett Lee, Nathan Coulter-Nile

Captain and Vice-Captain Options:

Captain – Shoaib Malik, Aaron Finch

Vice-captain – Daniel Christian, Shahid Afridi

Wicketkeeper – Umar Akmal

AAC vs PNC Probable Winners:

The Australia Champions is predicted to benefit relatively from the pitch. Australia is the clear favorite to defeat Pakistan Champions in the opening round of the tournament since they have the ideal all-around unit. Considering the team combination, Australia Champions are expected to win this match.