India just won the 2025 Champions Trophy in spectacular fashion. In the just concluded edition, they were the only team to finish undefeated. They won all three of their games in the group stage, making their run truly perfect. The Men in Blue prevailed in the competition’s semifinal and final despite being fiercely contested.
Mitchell Starc, a pace bowler from Australia who did not compete in the Champions Trophy, admitted that he did not keep up with the competition. Whether the current Indian squad was the “best white-ball team ever” was another subject he discussed.
“India’s victory is hardly shocking. To tell the truth, I did not watch a single ball. I doubt I paid much attention to the Champions Trophy. Only tidbits of the Australian games. The previous season, I had the opportunity to play alongside Varun Chakaravarthy of KKR; he is a bowler of great talent and interest. Are they the greatest white-ball squad ever? “While the Australian fans are likely to say no, the Indian fans will say yes,” Starc said on Fanatics TV.
Mitchell Starc comments on how the Indian Premier League has affected India’s white-ball success.
While seeing the Indian Premier League as the primary driver of India’s expanding limited-overs scene, the left-armer maintained his objectivity.
As cricket players, we have the opportunity to play for any team in the world, but the Indian players are limited to the IPL, so I’m not sure if that is really an advantage. You have guys who play in five or six different franchise leagues year, so I don’t think you can put that off. Thus, even they are being exposed to white-ball cricket,” Starc reasoned.
Later this year, India will take on England in a five-match Test series in June and August. They have won the Champions Trophy 2025 and the T20 World Cup 2024 twice and finished second in the Cricket World Cup 2023 once in the last three ICC white-ball competitions.
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