PAK vs IND: Top 3 Player Battles to watch out for in Champions Trophy 2025

The arch-rivals India and Pakistan will play each other in the high-octane clash in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy on Sunday, February 23, at 2:30 PM (IST). The two Asian powerhouses will play this game at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai. It will be a must-win and all-important game for both teams to strengthen their chances for semi-final qualification in the tournament.

Both teams have some good batters and bowlers in focus during the game. They will play a crucial role in providing a typical Indo-Pak thriller for the fans.

With that said, here we’ll have a look at the top 3 player battles to watch out for in the high-profile India vs Pakistan clash in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Also Read: Top 3 bowlers to watch out for in Pakistan vs India Champions Trophy match 5

Here are the 3 player battles to watch out for in India vs Pakistan – Champions Trophy 2025:

Shubman Gill vs Shaheen Afridi

Star India opener and vice-captain Shubman Gill has been in a sensational run of form with the bat in the last four ODIs, including the three-match home ODI series against England. He also scored a match-winning century in the last Champions Trophy game against Bangladesh, winning the ‘Player of the Match’ award.

Gill will be facing Pakistan’s star pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi with the new ball in the initial phase of the game. However, Shaheen wasn’t in expected form in the last game against New Zealand but still, his excellence with the new ball can’t be underestimated. So, it will be an interesting player battle between Gill and Afridi to watch out for.

Mohammad Rizwan vs Mohammed Shami 

Star Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter and skipper Mohammad Rizwan could score only 3 runs off 14 balls in the last game. However, he was in decent batting form in the ODI tri-nation series in Pakistan a few days back. He will aim to regain his form back in the game against the arch-rivals, India.

However, Rizwan is expected to get a tough time from the veteran and in-form India pacer Mohammed Shami, who is one of the giants in the ICC tournaments. Shami claimed a match-winning five-wicket haul for India in the last game against Bangladesh. The battle between Shami and Rizwan will also be one to keep a close eye on.

Rohit Sharma vs Naseem Shah 

Indian batting stalwart and skipper Rohit Sharma has been in brilliant batting form in his last seven ODI appearances. He has scored 320 runs in seven matches with a decent batting average of 130.08. Besides that, he also played a crucial knock of 41 runs off 36 balls, with seven fours in the previous game against Bangladesh. 

Rohit will also be facing the challenge from young Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah, who will be there with the new-ball duties, alongside star pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi. Naseem had also been seen troubling Rohit Sharma in the past in the limited-overs cricket. 

Also Read: Top 3 batters to watch out for in Pakistan vs India Champions Trophy match 5