New Delhi: Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar has revealed his semifinal predictions for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The prestigious tournament will be co-hosted by Pakistan and the UAE, with Dubai hosting India’s matches. In Pakistan, the games will take place in Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi. Given the conditions, Akhtar believes the Asian teams will have a considerable edge over the other contenders.
Meanwhile, Akhtar predicted India and Pakistan to reach the ICC Champions Trophy semifinals, and also backed Afghanistan to make it to the top four. Afghanistan, in these conditions, are no pushovers, having had a strong showing in the 2023 ODI World Cup where they defeated teams like England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Akhtar believes that if Afghanistan’s batters perform well, they have a solid chance of qualifying. “If Afghanistan’s batters show maturity, they can cause unexpected results,” Akhtar said, as quoted by the Express Tribune.
Akhtar also expressed confidence in Pakistan’s ability to defeat India in the highly anticipated match at the ICC Champions Trophy. The blockbuster clash between the two arch-rivals is set to take place on February 23 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The veteran pacer went a step further, predicting that Pakistan and India should ideally meet in the final. “I believe Pakistan will beat India on February 23. Both Pakistan and India should ideally meet in the final,” he added.
Akhtar stated that if Pakistan manages to beat both India and New Zealand in the Champions Trophy, they will have already secured half the victory. “If Pakistan defeats India and New Zealand in the Champions Trophy, the Green Shirts will have already won half the tournament,” he said.
India and Pakistan are two of the hot favorites to win the ICC Champions Trophy. The two teams previously clashed in the final of the 2017 edition, where Pakistan triumphed over India to claim the title. Pakistan also defeated India in the 2021 T20 World Cup. However, India has had the upper hand in the last three encounters, winning in the 2022 T20 World Cup, the 2023 ODI World Cup, and the 2024 T20 World Cup.
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