Champions Trophy 2025: The 2025-edition of the Champions Trophy has seen a lot of twist and turns. After a hectic group stage, finally the four top teams have qualified for the semi-finals round. All Top-4 teams have their own pros and cons in the elite tournament.
Let's check out the pros and cons of top-4 teams who have qualified for the knockout stages:
---Advertisement---
INDIA
The most celebrated teams in the cricketing world, Team India is geared up for the knockouts of the Champions Trophy 2025. A team with the likes of skipper Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli, India will be eyeing to get the coveted trophy back after 12 years of wait.
---Advertisement---
Pros
Team India led-by Rohit Sharma arrived to this tournament with four spinners in the bank which was questioned by a lot of cricketing pundits but now in recent times all irrelevant speculations went in vain as spinners have been a vital cog of Indian bowling line-up in the tournament. One of the most recent example is of Varun Chakravarthy, who grabbed a five-wicket haul against New Zealand which is highlighting bowling depth.
Cons
With great power comes with great responsibility and pressure. Team India's spin-bowling attack has been formidable but there's a concern regarding India's pace bowling attack. The pace bowling unit's has been inconsistent and in-experienced, especially in varying pitch conditions. Apart from this, there are expectations of 1.4 billion people which can sometimes lead to added pressure, potentially affecting performance.
AUSTRALIA
The 2023 World Cup winners, Australia is all set for another major tournament knockout with it’s one of the strongest contingent in the tournament. Leading the pack, Steve Smith will look to bag the major title under his belt.
Pros
Leadership by Steve Smith has been phenomenal in the tournament with shuffling it's bowlers in the mid-overs and etc. With a wealth of experience and batting class, Australia might have a chance to make an eye contact with Team India in the knockout battle tomorrow.
Cons
Injury concerns have been a scare to Australia in this tournament with Matthew Short being ruled out, the team balance might get affected by this. Apart from this, Australia's inexperienced bowling line-up might hamper in the knockout stage.
NEW ZEALAND
One of the most underdog sides, New Zealand would like to remove the tag of it and win the championship. Since 2015, the Kiwis have performed brilliantly in the ICC tournaments. This Champions Trophy 2025 might be the “Jail-Breaker” for Kiwis to win the tournament.
Pros
New Zealand has a blessing of having a formidable pace bowling line-up who could bowl on slow track. With pacer's Matt Henry's recent standout performances of a five-wicket haul against India and other bowlers, the "BlackCaps" have an opportunity to break the shackles.
Cons
Despite strong individual performances, the team has faced challenges, including a loss to India, highlighting occasional inconsistencies. And the most important thing is the semi-final stage which brings heightened pressure, and New Zealand's ability to handle.
SOUTH AFRICA
The last on this list is South Africa. The Proteas have been scrutinized for their failures in the knockout stages. This might be their chance to show the world who they are in the upcoming knockout ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Pros
South Africa's powerful middle-order batting has been a key asset, providing stability and acceleration when needed. The Proteas have shown the ability to adapt to different conditions, crucial for success in varied playing environments.
Cons
The team has been dealing with injuries and illness, which have impacted player availability and performance. Past near-misses in ICC tournaments can create mental barriers, influencing performance in high-stakes matches.