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Team India will open its campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on February 20 against Bangladesh and then face Pakistan on February 23 and New Zealand in Dubai on March 2.
Dinesh Karthik picks India’s hardest opponent in Champions Trophy 2025. (Picture Credit: PTI)
The 2025 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy is set to start on Wednesday, February 19, with a match between defending champions Pakistan and New Zealand at National Stadium in Karachi. World No. 1 ODI team India will face Bangladesh in the first Group A match on Thursday, February 20, at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, and the high-voltage match against Pakistan is scheduled to take place at the same venue on Sunday, February 23.
While many fans, experts, and followers of the game believe the match between the archrivals, who also played in the final of the last edition of the Champions Trophy, will be the biggest match of the tournament, former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik, who has now donned the hat of an expert and commentator, has picked New Zealand as India’s hardest opponent in the eight-team tournament.
According to Karthik, who was the member of the Indian team that won the Champions Trophy title in 2013 under MS Dhoni’s leadership, Kiwis are playing some good cricket recently, and they have always troubled India in multi-nation tournaments.
“I think in Group A, India’s hardest opponent is going to be New Zealand. Yes. They are playing some very good cricket, and we also know how they have troubled us consistently in multi-nation tournaments,” Kartik said on Cricbuzz’s HeyCB with DK show.
“And I feel the key in New Zealand again will be Williamson’s wicket because he always plays well under pressure. So again, a key wicket for us will be Williamson. He is someone to watch out for,” Karthik added.
Williamson, who is one of the greatest batters of all time, has been in red-hot form these days. The right-handed batter from Tauranga has scored 58, 133*, and 34 runs in his last three ODI matches for the Black Caps.
In the Champions Trophy 2025, Williamson will bat at No. 3 for the Mitchell Santner-led side, which is set to open its campaign on Wednesday, February 19, against Pakistan at the National Stadium in Karachi. The 2000 Champions Trophy winners will face India in the last Group A match at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on March 2.
- Location :
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
