The wait is finally over! The much-anticipated Champions Trophy 2025 is here, ready to excite cricket fans worldwide. This prestigious tournament promises high-intensity matches, and cricket lovers cannot wait for the action to begin.

India finds itself in a competitive group alongside Bangladesh, their fierce rivals Pakistan, and New Zealand. The top two teams from the group will qualify for the semi-finals.

The Indian cricket team’s campaign begins on February 20 against Bangladesh, followed by a highly awaited clash against Pakistan on February 23rd, and then a game against New Zealand on March 2nd. All of India's matches are set to take place in Dubai, while the rest of the teams matches will be held in Pakistan.

India comes into the tournament with strong momentum. They recently played a three-match ODI series against England at home and dominated, winning all three games. This clean sweep provided them with perfect preparation for the Champions Trophy. India has retained the same squad from that series. Jasprit Bumrah was named in the squad but has not recovered from his injury and has been ruled out, with Harshit Rana as his replacement.

From a batting perspective, Shubman Gill was outstanding in the England series, winning the Player of the Series award with two fifties and a century. His ODI record is phenomenal, averaging 60.16 in 50 matches.

Rohit Sharma also returned to form against England, scoring a stunning century in the second ODI. The middle order is packed with experience and firepower, featuring Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, and Hardik Pandya.

Harshit Rana impressed in the England series and will join the pace attack alongside Arshdeep Singh and Mohammad Shami. Arshdeep, in particular, has been in excellent form, especially in the T20 format, and is expected to play a key role for India in this tournament. The spin department is also well-covered with Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, and Varun Chakaravarthy in the squad.

Bangladesh has a solid squad as well. Their key players include Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, and Mustafizur Rahman. Bangladesh has troubled India in ICC tournaments before—most notably in the 2007 ODI World Cup. They have proven to be a dangerous team on their day and will be eager to challenge India once again.

India has historically dominated Bangladesh in ODIs, winning 32 out of the 40 matches played between the two teams. The last time they met in the Champions Trophy was in 2017, when India secured a comfortable nine-wicket win in the semi-final. However, Bangladesh has won three of their last five ODIs against India, giving them confidence heading into this game.

The pitches for this tournament are expected to be fresh and sporting, which means India may not have to struggle with slow surfaces. This Champions Trophy promises to be an exciting competition, and India has a strong chance of going all the way. With a well-balanced squad and players in good form, the Indian team looks ready to take on the challenge and aim for the title.