The last time India and New Zealand met in a final of an ICC white-ball tournament, in 2000, the world of cricket was different. That tournament was called ICC Knockout, One-Day Internationals (ODIs) ruled the sport’s landscape, cricket in the Middle East just meant Sharjah and T20s did not exist. A quarter of a century … Read more
India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak was pleased that every batter contributed to the team’s cause in its run to the final and felt the side is well-prepared, having encountered different situations in the four games so far. “The pitches change a bit obviously, but the overall tendency (slow nature) has not changed much. Our batting … Read more
Two weeks, thousands of kilometres travelled, and it comes down to the clash between two teams, who for all their history, have never lifted the World Cup. Though both South Africa and New Zealand won the ICC Knockouts, as the Champions Trophy was known earlier, it has been twenty-five years since either of them have … Read more
India versus Pakistan may be one of cricket’s greatest rivalries, made more fierce by the political tension between the two countries, but India against Australia has been one of the most intriguing and hard-fought duels in modern-day cricket. It has whetted the appetite of fans like no other, producing iconic clashes, as seen most recently … Read more
A convoluted Champions Trophy schedule has drawn criticism from multiple stakeholders in the game, including West Indies great Vivian Richards, who has strongly rebuked the International Cricket Council (ICC). With India playing all its league matches and the semifinal in Dubai, the three other teams — Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand — have had … Read more
South Africa head coach Rob Walter doesn’t want to spend time debating whether India holds an advantage by being based in Dubai, saying that he would rather focus his energy on his team’s performance in the Champions Trophy. India is playing all its matches in Dubai, and even the semifinal and final will be held … Read more
“You think we will come only to play with Maxwell? Do you think it will be like that?,” asked Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi, as he addressed the media ahead of the Champions Trophy group league fixture against Australia. He paused for a moment, and added with a smile: “We have plans for the entire Australian … Read more
The stage was set perfectly for Pakistan. The country was hosting its first ICC tournament since the 1996 World Cup and was the defending champion. Yet, six days into the event, its campaign came to a shuddering halt. While injuries to Saim Ayub (in the lead-up) and Fakhar Zaman (in the first match) weakened the … Read more
Pakistan suffered its second-straight reverse in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 when it went down to India by six wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. It is now languishing at the bottom spot in Group A and its hopes of making the semifinals are hanging by a thread. Though it is still … Read more
India beat Pakistan by six wickets on Sunday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium to pick its second victory in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Rohit Sharma’s side now has four points from two games and sits at the top of Group A. It will face New Zealand in its final group-stage game on March … Read more