The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has kicked off with contrasting starts for the arch-rivals, India and Pakistan. Rohit Sharma’s team made a commanding statement by securing a six-wicket victory over Bangladesh, setting the tone for their title aspirations. On the other hand, defending champions Pakistan led by Mohammad Rizwan stumbled in their opening match, suffering a 60-run defeat against New Zealand.
As the two teams prepare to face each other, the anticipation surrounding the high-stakes encounter continues to grow. Despite Pakistan’s historically better head-to-head record in ODIs, India has dominated their arch-rivals in recent years. Since Pakistan’s last victory over India in the 2017 Champions Trophy final, the Men in Blue have emerged victorious in five out of their last six encounters, with one match yielding no result.
The former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan weighed in on the much-anticipated contest, pointing out the significant challenges Pakistan faces. He noted that several senior players in the Pakistani squad struggle to adapt to the aggressive style of modern white-ball cricket. According to Irfan Pathan, making drastic changes to their approach at this stage seems difficult.
While analysing the India-Pakistan rivalry, he emphasised that beyond strengths and weaknesses, the ability to handle pressure on such a grand occasion ultimately determines the outcome. In that aspect, he believes India has the upper hand, given their proven track record in handling high-pressure games and their wealth of talent in the ODI format.
Highlighting India’s balanced squad, Irfan Pathan spoke about the depth in the team’s all-round abilities, with players like Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar providing crucial contributions. He expressed confidence in India’s momentum, particularly with Shubman Gill’s current form, and suggested that if Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli find consistency with the bat, the Indian team could be an unstoppable force in the tournament.
With emotions running high and both teams eager to make their mark, the upcoming showdown promises to be another thrilling chapter in the storied India-Pakistan rivalry.
