The 2025 ICC Champions Trophy is going to kick off with defending champion Pakistan taking on New Zealand at the National Stadium in Karachi on Wednesday, February 19. On Thursday, February 20, the World No. 1 ODI team India will combat Bangladesh in Group A’s first fixture at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, with the much-anticipated face-off against Pakistan scheduled for February 23 at the same venue.
While numerous fans, experts, and followers of the sport agree that the match between the archrivals, who also contested the final of the last edition of the Champions Trophy, will be the biggest match of this tournament, former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik, who has donned the mantle of an expert and commentator, has named New Zealand as India’s toughest rival in the tournament, which consists of eight nations.
Dinesh Karthik, who was the member of the Indian team that won the Champions Trophy title in 2013 under MS Dhoni’s leadership, said that Kiwis are playing some good cricket recently and that they had always troubled India in those multi-nation tournaments.
“I mean, in Group A, India is going to find their hardest competitor to be New Zealand. Yes; they’re playing some good cricket. We know how much they have troubled us since in multi-nation tournaments,” Kartik said on the Hey CB show on Cricbuzz with DK.
“And I think the key in New Zealand will again be getting Williamson out because he always plays under pressure. So again, it would be a key wicket for us, Williamson. He is somebody to watch out for,” Karthik said.
Kane Williamson, who is one of the greatest batters of all time, has been in red-hot form these days. The right-handed batter from Tauranga has scored 58, 133*, and 34 runs in his last three ODI matches for the Black Caps.
In the Champions Trophy 2025, Williamson will bat at No. 3 for the Mitchell Santner-led side, which is set to open its campaign on Wednesday, February 19, against Pakistan at the National Stadium in Karachi. The 2000 Champions Trophy winners will face India in the last Group A match at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on March 2.
