Champions Trophy 2025 is almost here, and this is getting hype after hype. And joining the fray are former cricketers, the latest being former India spinner Harbhajan Singh and former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar. Fierce rivals on the pitch during their playing days, these two have virtually ignited the flames ahead of the ILT20 2025 final with each other. The two faced off in a rather fun manner two weeks prior, with India facing Pakistan in Dubai on February 23.
So, Harbhajan comes with a plastic bat while Akhtar has a ball, as they come to have a not-so-serious faceoff in the Dubai International Stadium.
This was enough to boast a long shot of cheers and roars from the excited crowd.
It was in the final of ILT20 where Desert Vipers played against Dubai Capitals, which ends up in both sides looking for their first title.
On February 23, Sunday, India and Pakistan will battle in the Champions Trophy 2025, in Dubai. Despite Pakistan hosting the tournament, India will play all its games in a neutral venue after refusing to travel to Pakistan.
This has given further fuel to the fire of a rivalry that just seems to grow stronger by the day. Moreover, the two sides had squared off in the final of the last Champions Trophy in 2017 – India just lost that one. And of course, Pakistan came out among the winners of that game. So technically, they are the defending champions going into the Champions Trophy coming up.
They have won the Champions Trophy twice so far, tying with Australia as joint-record winners. The last victory came in the year 2013.
The two teams have drawn the same pool with New Zealand and Bangladesh. Pakistan will start the tournament with a game against New Zealand on February 19, while India will play Bangladesh on the following day.
India has been perfect leading to the Champions Trophy, having won the ODI series against England with a game to spare.
Skipper Rohit Sharma returned to form with a glorious 119 runs helping India chase down a total of 305 in the second one-dayer. Shubman Gill scored a fifty, while Ravindra Jadeja was impressive in the bowling department with three wickets under his belt.
