ISLAMABAD: Former Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting has predicted the finalists for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, tipping India and Australia as the top contenders while also naming Pakistan as a strong challenger to make it to the final of the mega tournament.
Speaking on The ICC Review alongside Sanjana Ganesan and Ravi Shastri, Ponting highlighted Pakistan’s recent strong performance in One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and their potential to upset the favourites in the tournament.
Ponting said that Pakistan has the potential to challenge the two cricketing giants Australia and India.
“Pakistan has been playing some really good cricket lately,” Ponting remarked. “Their ODI performances have been outstanding, and they seem to have addressed some of their past inconsistencies. While they have not always been the most predictable team in major tournaments, they appear to have improved their consistency.”
Pakistan heads into the Champions Trophy 2025 after a series of impressive results, including a 2-1 victory over Australia and a 3-0 clean sweep of South Africa.
Under the leadership of Mohammad Rizwan, the team has made a strong comeback following a disappointing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 campaign.
Their recent triumphs over Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa have reaffirmed their position as a competitive force in international cricket.
ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan
The Champions Trophy 2025 is set to begin on 19 February and will be hosted across three venues in Pakistan—Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi—with some matches scheduled in Dubai.
As the defending champions from the 2017 edition, when they convincingly defeated India in the final, Pakistan will be looking to replicate their past success on home soil.

Ponting maintained that India and Australia remain the teams to beat. “Given their success in major tournaments and the depth of talent in their squads, India and Australia will likely meet in the final,” he predicted.
India and Australia, both two-time winners of the Champions Trophy (India in 2002 and 2013, Australia in 2006 and 2009), boast some of the finest players in the world.
With stars like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, David Warner, and Steve Smith, both teams will be formidable contenders for the title.
Former Indian coach Ravi Shastri echoed Ponting’s views, naming England and South Africa as strong semi-final contenders but ultimately backing India and Australia for the final showdown.
“It’s hard to look past them,” he said. “History shows that when ICC finals come around, these two sides are always there.”
Pakistan’s campaign will kick off with high expectations, especially as they seek to retain the title they won in 2017.
A highly anticipated group-stage clash between Pakistan and India on 23 February in Dubai is expected to be one of the highlights of the tournament.
With 15 matches scheduled between eight top teams, the Champions Trophy 2025 promises thrilling contests.