On Sunday, February 23, India (IND) and Pakistan (PAK) will square off in the most lavish weekend blockbuster Champions Trophy 2025 match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DCIS), located in Dubai. Almost every cricket enthusiast and expert has an opinion about the high-stakes match whenever the two neighboring countries enter the field.
Sanjay Manjrekar, a former Indian cricket player, was no exception and made a firm assessment of Pakistan’s prospects in the forthcoming CT25 match versus the Men in Blue. Notably, Manjrekar, a member of the Hindi commentary team, claimed that Pakistan was “nowhere near India’s league” and that they appeared to be weaker than ever during the Afghanistan vs. South Africa match.
Manjrekar stated, “India have dominated them right throughout in recent times, and this time, Pakistan look even weaker,” according to The Hindustan Times. However, that hasn’t lessened the battle’s luster in any way. The England vs. Australia match will be marginally superior in terms of quality, but any Indian or Pakistani fan would undoubtedly choose Sunday’s game.
According to Hindustan Times (HT), Manjrekar stated, “The fever is there.”
Manjrekar also highlighted Pakistan’s main worry, which is the absence of spin options, since Dubai prefers slow conditions over pacers, which could be crucial for the co-hosts to remain competitive in the current Champions Trophy 2025.
“You need spinners to succeed in these conditions, and Pakistan only have one specialist spinner in Abrar Ahmed,” he said. “Even if they bowl Khushdil Shah or Salman Agha, the Indian hitters won’t be troubled. “There won’t be much of an impact from pace,” Manjrekar said.
After losing to New Zealand, Pakistan is in terrible shape, and India wants to keep gaining ground.
Regarding Pakistan’s Champions Trophy campaign, the Green Shirts started the game under tremendous strain and were put in a difficult position following a humiliating 60-run loss to New Zealand in Karachi. India, on the other hand, comes into the match with momentum after defeating Bangladesh by a commanding six wickets in Dubai on Thursday.
Pakistan leads India (3-2) in the Champions Trophy history when it comes to head-to-head records in the main event. India vs. Pakistan never fails to highlight the’mother of all rivalries,’ even though the side is already on the risk of an early exit after losing in the tournament opener.
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