Pakistan is in a tough spot in the Champions Trophy 2024/25. After a heavy defeat against New Zealand, they must win against India to stay in the tournament. This is the first ICC event hosted by Pakistan in 29 years, making the pressure even higher.
- Pakistan must win to avoid early elimination.
- India has the advantage after already playing on the same pitch.
- Pakistan’s spinners could play a key role in slow conditions.
Pakistan’s Struggle & India’s Rise
Pakistan has struggled in recent international cricket due to limited exposure. Once a leader in Asian cricket, they now lag behind. In contrast, India has modernized its game, improving in all formats. Since 2011, Pakistan has only beaten India in major ICC events twice, in 2017 and 2021.
The Dubai pitch offers some hope for Pakistan. The slow surface could reduce India’s advantage in power hitting. Without dew, teams batting first have an advantage. Sri Lanka recently defeated India in similar conditions by scoring in the mid-200s and defending well with spin.
Current Form of Both Teams
- Pakistan’s last 5 matches: LLWLW
- India’s last 5 matches: WWWWL
Players to Watch: Virat Kohli & Salman Agha
Virat Kohli has struggled against leg-spin recently. He has been dismissed five times in five games while scoring only 21 runs against leg-spinners. Pakistan doesn’t have a classic leg-spinner, but Abrar Ahmed can turn the ball both ways.
Salman Agha has been Pakistan’s standout batsman in middle overs. Since 2024, he has scored 325 runs at an average of 65.00 with a strike rate of 88.07. His ability to rotate strike against India’s spinners will be crucial.
Team News & Possible Playing XIs
Pakistan:
Pakistan made a major change, replacing Fakhar Zaman with Imam-ul-Haq. Usman Khan is also an option but plays in the middle order in List A cricket.
Possible XI:
- Imam-ul-Haq
- Babar Azam
- Saud Shakeel
- Mohammad Rizwan (capt, wk)
- Salman Agha
- Tayyab Tahir
- Khushdil Shah
- Shaheen Shah Afridi
- Naseem Shah
- Haris Rauf
- Abrar Ahmed
India:
India is expected to retain the same XI that won against Bangladesh.
Possible XI:
- Rohit Sharma (capt)
- Shubman Gill
- Virat Kohli
- Shreyas Iyer
- KL Rahul (wk)
- Hardik Pandya
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Axar Patel
- Harshit Rana
- Mohammed Shami
- Kuldeep Yadav
Match Strategy & Pitch Conditions
India initially wanted to bowl first against Bangladesh but later realized that the slowing pitch favored the team batting first. Dew is not a factor in Dubai due to the early start.
Teams will try to score quick runs in the powerplay before the middle overs become challenging. The recent ILT20 tournament played on these pitches showed that spin could dominate, making stroke play difficult.
Stats & Trivia: India’s Edge Over Pakistan
- India has dominated Pakistan in ICC events over the past decade.
- Pakistan has only won against India twice in major ICC tournaments since 2011.
- Dubai’s spin-friendly conditions could be Pakistan’s best chance to counter India’s firepower.
This match is a do-or-die situation for Pakistan. India, on the other hand, looks confident with its balanced squad. The conditions favor spin, making toss and batting first critical. Can Pakistan turn the tide, or will India continue its dominance? The answer will unfold in this high-voltage clash.
Check out the Champions Trophy Stats
