Rachin Ravindra predicts ICC Champions Trophy 2025 finalists

New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra scores century during 2023 ODI World Cup match against Pakistan in Bengaluru on November 4, 2023. - AFPNew Zealand cricketer Rachin Ravindra on Monday predicted an exciting showdown between New Zealand and Australia in the final of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The prestigious tournament will be held in Pakistan next month, and Ravindra believes that the two teams will battle it out for the ultimate prize on March 9. In an exclusive interaction with the ICC, the middle-order batter was asked to name the two teams he expects to face in the final. While he refrained from picking the world No. 1 ODI team, India and hosts Pakistan, Ravindra went for a bold prediction, backing New Zealand and Australia to meet in the summit clash.“It’s always very hard to predict (finalists) that because you always want to say New Zealand because you’re involved. So hopefully we’re there. I mean, we’ll take it game by game, and the other groups, it’s pretty hard to count out people like Australia," said Rachin. "I think they’re a really good team, and they’ve shown how strong they are in all formats. Current holders of the ODI World Cup too. So hopefully it’ll be a Trans-Tasman derby. But, we’ll take it game by game and see what happens," he added.The 25-year-old left-handed batter was in spectacular form during the 2023 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup, amassing over 500 runs and helping New Zealand secure a semifinal spot. Ravindra, who has 945 runs and 18 wickets from 28 ODIs, is excited about the opportunity to represent New Zealand in the Champions Trophy 2025.“I think it’s amazing. Obviously, having a brief hiatus from the Champions Trophy and it coming back this year is very exciting. I think the format is amazing, being able to essentially play knockout games every single time. There’s context on every single game, which I think is super exciting and something I’m looking forward to," he said.“You always play cricket to try and push yourselves and try and win the game, so for every game to have that onus on it is great," he added.The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will be held from February 19 to March 9 across three venues in Pakistan—Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi—along with Dubai. The tournament features 15 matches with eight teams divided into two groups:Group A: Pakistan, India, New Zealand, BangladeshGroup B: Afghanistan, South Africa, England, AustraliaThe tournament will kick off with hosts Pakistan taking on New Zealand in the opening match on February 19 in Karachi.New Zealand Champions Trophy Schedule:19 February: Pakistan vs New Zealand, Karachi, Pakistan24 February: Bangladesh vs New Zealand, Rawalpindi, Pakistan2 March: New Zealand vs India, Dubai Rachin Ravindra Comments Submit مضمون کا ماخذ:را کی کتاب