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Ricky Ponting Backs Pakistan as Strong Contender for ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Former Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting has tipped Pakistan as a serious contender for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final, citing their recent dominance in One-Day Internationals (ODIs).
Speaking on The ICC Review with Sanjana Ganesan and Ravi Shastri, Ponting acknowledged that while India and Australia remain the top favorites, Pakistan has emerged as a strong competitor ahead of the tournament.
“Pakistan has been playing some really good cricket lately,” Ponting said. “Their one-day cricket has been outstanding, and they seem to have worked through their previous inconsistencies. While they’re not always the most predictable team in big tournaments, they appear to have sorted things out a bit.”
Pakistan’s Recent ODI Form Boosts Confidence
Pakistan enters the 2025 Champions Trophy with a remarkable turnaround following their 2023 Cricket World Cup campaign. Their recent ODI series victories include:
✅ 2-1 series win against Australia
✅ 3-0 whitewash of South Africa
✅ Impressive performances against Zimbabwe and other teams
Under Mohammad Rizwan’s leadership, Pakistan has displayed greater consistency, improved team balance, and a fighting spirit.
The Champions Trophy 2025, starting February 19, will be played in Pakistan across three venues—Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi—along with select matches in Dubai. As the defending champions from 2017, when they famously defeated India in the final, Pakistan will look to repeat their historic triumph.
India & Australia: The Teams to Beat
Despite Pakistan’s impressive performances, Ponting believes India and Australia remain the tournament’s most formidable teams.
“Based on their recent success in big tournaments and star-studded lineups, India and Australia will likely meet in the final,” he added.
🏆 India and Australia have each won the Champions Trophy twice, making them the most successful teams in the tournament’s history.
With superstars like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, David Warner, and Steve Smith, both teams boast world-class depth, experience, and match-winning abilities.
However, cricket’s unpredictability means Pakistan has the potential to upset the favorites, especially with home advantage.
Can Pakistan Repeat Their 2017 Heroics?
Pakistan’s 2017 Champions Trophy triumph remains one of their most iconic moments, as they dominated India by 180 runs in the final.
With the tournament returning to Pakistan, the team will be eager to prove themselves once again and make a deep run in the competition.
As the cricketing world gears up for an exciting Champions Trophy 2025, all eyes will be on Pakistan to see if they can ride their momentum and claim another ICC title.
Stay tuned for more updates on Pakistan’s road to the Champions Trophy!
