WEBDESK: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the Team of the Tournament for the Champions Trophy 2025. However, hosts Pakistan did not have a single player included in the lineup. The squad features six Indian players, four from New Zealand, and two from Afghanistan.
The Champions Trophy is one of the biggest cricket tournaments, and this selection has sparked debate among fans and analysts. India dominated the list with players like Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Mohammed Shami, Axar Patel, and Varun Chakravarthy. New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, and Matt Henry also made the cut. From Afghanistan, Ibrahim Zadran and Azmatullah Omarzai secured their spots.
Pakistan’s exclusion is mainly due to their disappointing performance in the tournament. They finished at the bottom of their group, losing to both India and New Zealand. Their match against Bangladesh was washed out, further reducing their chances of advancing. Despite hosting the Champions Trophy, Pakistan struggled to make an impact.
The decision has raised questions, as teams like South Africa, Australia, Bangladesh, and England also failed to get any players into the squad. Some cricket experts believe that the selection was based purely on performance, while others feel that at least one player from the host nation should have been included.
As the Asia Cup 2025 approaches, Pakistan will need to regroup and prepare for the event on home soil. Hosting the tournament is a major opportunity, and the team will be eager to prove themselves. The absence of Pakistani players in the ICC’s best XI serves as a wake-up call, pushing them to perform better in future competitions.
With the tournament just around the corner, cricket fans will be watching closely to see how Pakistan responds to this setback and whether they can turn things around in their home Champions Trophy.
Champions Trophy team of the tournament:
- Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand)
- Ibrahim Zadran (Afghanistan)
- Virat Kohli (India)
- Shreyas Iyer (India)
- KL Rahul (wk) (India)
- Glenn Phillips (New Zealand)
- Azmatullah Omarzai (Afghanistan)
- Mitchell Santner (capt) (New Zealand)
- Mohammad Shami (India)
- Matt Henry (New Zealand)
- Varun Chakravarthy (India)
- Axar Patel (India)
