The Outside Edge Cricket Podcast · Rudra Saraf

Champions Trophy 2025 - Preview

·36 min·2 clips

Pakistan are described as the most unpredictable team in the tournament, even after chasing 352 against South Africa.

Rudra and Cain open by setting up a Champions Trophy squad discussion. They start with India’s 3-1 loss in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, then move on to the bounce-back against England in the T20 and ODI series, treating those results as a good sign rather than a finished verdict. Abhishek Sharma’s form gets a quick lift, and Shubman Gill’s three good ODI knocks also come up as a reason for confidence heading into the tournament. From there they lay out the groups. Group A has Bangladesh, India, New Zealand, and Pakistan. Group B has Afghanistan, Australia, England, and South Africa. Their read is that India’s group looks a little easier than the other side of the draw. New Zealand becomes the first real debate. They sketch the side they have been using in the recent tri-series: Will Young and Conway opening, Williamson at three, Mitchell at four, Latham at five, Phillips at six, and Bracewell and Santner at seven and eight. That shape makes the batting look a little thin. Spin in Dubai becomes the next concern. Rachin Ravindra is floated as a possible fix if he replaces one of the openers. Pakistan then takes over the conversation. Their tri-series run is used as a reminder that they can look brilliant one day and shaky the next. The hosts point to the 352 chase against South Africa and the final loss to New Zealand. The episode ends with the dream of an India-Pakistan final, while England, Australia, and Afghanistan are also kept in the mix, and they say they will be back once the tournament starts in five days.

As heard by us

A brisk tournament preview that weighs India, New Zealand, and Pakistan without pretending the bracket is settled.

This episode keeps its feet on the ground: India's response to England, the balance of New Zealand's side, and Pakistan's volatility all get treated as live selection questions rather than tidy talking points.

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Why you'd press play

You want a fast read on the Champions Trophy groups before first ball.

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