New Delhi: India will look to inch closer to a spot in the semi-finals when they take on arch-rivals Pakistan in a high-octane clash in the Champions Trophy 2025 on Sunday, February 23. The marquee clash will be played at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai and promises to be a cracker of a contest between the eternal rivals, who will be locking horns for the first time since June last year.
India beat Pakistan by 6 runs in a thriller in their last meeting during the T20 World Cup last year and will be looking to continue their winning run against the Men in Green in the Champions Trophy this time around. India thrashed Bangladesh by six wickets in their opener at the same venue on Thursday to get off to a winning start in the tournament and a win against Pakistan will all but confirm their spot in the semi-finals.
India have one of the strongest teams on paper in the Champions Trophy 2025 despite the absence of premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who has been ruled out due to a back injury. India have a settled batting line-up and are unlikely to make any changes for the high-pressure encounter but might be tempted to make a change or two in their bowling line-up.
Will Arshdeep Singh get a chance?
Harshit Rana has done well for India ever since making his ODI debut in the recently concluded ODI series against England with 9 wickets in his last 4 matches. While many expected Arshdeep Singh to get the nod over Rana in India’s Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh, the right-arm pacer retained the faith of the team management.
However, Pakistan will be a different ball game and Rana’s lack of experience at the highest level can hurt India if things don’t go well for them with the new ball. Thus, the Indian team management might be tempted to bring Arshdeep Singh back into the XI for the all-important game. Apart from being more experienced, Arshdeep also offers variety with his left-arm pace.
Kuldeep Yadav to be replaced by Varun Chakaravarthy?
The Indian team management might also look at making a change in the spin department for the Pakistan game. Kuldeep Yadav went wicket-less against Bangladesh and conceded 43 runs off his 10 overs. While the left-arm Chinaman spinner offers rare skills and variety, India might consider bringing in Varun Chakaravarthy for his mystery spin which can be an X-factor.
However, it won’t be an easy decision for India as Kuldeep has done well against Pakistan in ICC events in the past and has often troubled the Pakistani batters with his wizardry. It will be interesting to see who will get the nod for the big game on Sunday.
India’s predicted playing XI for Pakistan clash in Champions Trophy 2025:
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav/Varun Chakaravarthy, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh.
While India are unlikely to make any changes in their batting line-up for the high-octane clash against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy 2025 on Sunday, they might be tempeted to bring in Arshdeep Singh for Harshit Rana in the pace attack. Here is a look at India’s predicted playing XI for the Pakistan game. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
