India’s captain Rohit Sharma (L) and his teammate Virat Kohli (C) celebrate their team’s win in the … [+] ICC Champions Trophy one-day international (ODI) cricket match between New Zealand and India at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai on March 2, 2025. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP) (Photo by FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
India are calling all the shots so far in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. Their 44-run victory over New Zealand in the last Group A game on Sunday means that they will now face old foes Australia in the semifinals. Rohit Sharma’s team are the only unit that have gained three wins from three, although there have been three washouts in the tournament which has prevented South Africa and the Baggy Greens from the possibility of matching them.
Both the Aussies and South Africans were waiting on the sidelines to see which of them would end up taking on the favorites. After defeating Afghanistan in Lahore to finish second in Group B, the Australians flew to Dubai and will train at the ICC Academy before the much awaited rerun of the World Cup final on Tuesday. Steve Smith’s side can stay put without packing their bags for another trip.
South Africa flew to the Emirates after their victory over England in Karachi and will also train there. They will now have the added burden of a flight to Lahore for the second semifinal against the Kiwis which is due to take place on Wednesday, The logistics have been controversial given that every team has piled up air miles barring the current T20 world champions.
A hybrid model was agreed before the tournament as India have refused to tour Pakistan on geopolitical and security grounds since 2008. The compromise was that the two-time Champions Trophy winners would play all their matches in Dubai. It’s quickly becoming a home from home.
“India are camped out in Dubai, playing in the same ground and same places in the changing room. Both Australia and South Africa will fly to Dubai but only one will play there and the other will get back on a plane to Lahore. It’s all got a bit crazy,” said BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew.
It’s not the first time that world cricket’s powerhouse are controlling the direction of travel for their opponents. A similar arrangement was put together for the 2023 Asia Cup which was also hosted by Pakistan. Sri Lanka co-hosted to ensure that the competition could accommodate India who played all their games in Kandy and Colombo.
International cricket very much moves to the BCCI’s drumbeat which chimes with dollars and Trump-like control. The BCCI is set to receive just under 40 per cent of the ICC’s commercial revenue up until 2027. It appears the Big Three of England, Australia and India has now become the Big One.
On the pitch, the rematch of the 2023 World Cup final will take on a different hue given that Australia will be missing a number of key characters at the Dubai International Stadium. Just over fifteen months ago, Pat Cummins’s side played a blinder by stifling India’s batsmen in Ahmedabad to the point where no boundary was scored in 16 overs. Not even Jasprit Bumrah could defend 240 that time, but a Bumrahless attack here managed to defend 249 on Sunday.
Despite slipping to 31 for 3 against Mitchell Santner’s team, India steadied the ship with a classy 79 from Shreyas Iyer and a run a ball 45 from Hardik Pandya. The four Indian spinners put a titanium clamp on the scoring rate, bowling 37 overs between them and taking nine wickets. No batsman in the Kiwi top five managed a strike rate of over 70 despite Kane Williamson’s 81.
Ravi Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel didn’t concede more than 50 in their spells over the previous two matches against Bangladesh and Pakistan either. Leg spinner Varun Chakravarthy was brought in for this third contest and promptly finished off the lower middle order to claim five wickets.
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – MARCH 02: Varun Chakravarthy of India poses for a photograph with the … [+] Player of the Match award after the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 match between New Zealand and India at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on March 02, 2025 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Alex Davidson-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
ICC via Getty Images
Australia will be stripped of their three premium strike bowlers, Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc. They will need Travis Head – who scored a quite brilliant century that day – Glenn Maxwell and a rejuvenated stand-in skipper Steve Smith to make the runs. Adam Zampa is their platinum slow bowler but the part-time spin of Marnus Labuschagne and Head might be the weak link.
“Australia have a rich history but it’s about us,” said Rohit after the game. Although their opponents are on a streak of ten major ICC ODI wins on the trot, this Indian XI is very much on a mission.
