Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has predicted the winners of the highly anticipated ICC Champions Trophy 2025 clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan, scheduled to be played in Dubai tomorrow.
Ganguly has declared India as the clear favorite not just to triumph in the match against Pakistan, but also to secure the Champions Trophy title, emphasizing their spin attack as a significant strength.
“India are not just favorites against Pakistan, but for me, they are favorites for this tournament, said the former captain.
“It won’t be easy for Pakistan. The spinners will also play a crucial role. I think India will go with the same (bowling) combination.
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“I presume this Dubai pitch will turn a bit, and Pakistan doesn’t play spin very well. India has quality spinners.”
Sourav Ganguly further downplayed Pakistan’s chances of a comeback, predicting an early exit for the hosts from the tournament.
“New Zealand has beaten Pakistan, so New Zealand is ahead. If India beats Pakistan, then Pakistan will probably be out of the competition. So, I see India and New Zealand progressing from this group,” he said.
It’s worth noting that Pakistan are looking to bounce back after a disappointing 60-run loss to New Zealand in their opening match in Karachi.
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Meanwhile, India started their Champions Trophy campaign with a convincing win against Bangladesh as they comfortably chased a 229-run target against Bangladesh, thanks to a brilliant 101-run knock by Shubman Gill.
Historically, Pakistan has a slight edge over India in the Champions Trophy, winning three out of their five meetings.
Their last encounter in the tournament was the 2017 final, where Sarfaraz Ahmed’s side produced a dominant performance, thrashing India by 180 runs to lift their first-ever Champions Trophy title.
READ: ‘Pakistan’s victory over India in Champions Trophy would be an upset’