Eoin Morgan and Shane Watson expressed hope that England and Australia will perform well in the Champions Trophy 2025, while favoring India as the top contender. England, under new coach Brandon McCullum, faced defeats from India and struggled with form. Australia is dealing with significant injuries, including Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, along with Marcus Stoinis’s recent retirement. Morgan highlighted India’s impressive run in the 2023 ODI and T20 World Cups as key to their favorite status. Both analysts mentioned Pakistan as a dark horse and emphasized England could still surprise despite their recent struggles. The tournament kicked off in Karachi.
While their respective teams may not have had the ideal preparation for the Champions Trophy 2025, Eoin Morgan and Shane Watson remain optimistic that England and Australia will perform well, with India being the standout favorite. England, under new coach Brandon McCullum, faced a tough time against India, suffering losses in both the T20I and ODI series. Meanwhile, Australia has been plagued by injuries, with four key players — Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh, and Mitchell Starc — sidelined, and Marcus Stoinis unexpectedly retiring from the national team.
Australia also experienced a 0-2 defeat to Sri Lanka in the ODI series just before the Champions Trophy.
Despite these challenges, Morgan and Watson expressed support for their respective national teams while naming India as the clear favorite and pinpointing Pakistan as a potential dark horse in the eight-team tournament, which kicked off on Wednesday with a match between Pakistan and New Zealand in Karachi.
Morgan, who famously led England to victory in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, regards India as the frontrunner due to their impressive run in the 2023 ODI World Cup held at home, where they reached the final unbeaten and also achieved victory in the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA.
“The side that’s the frontrunner, best positioned across the squads I would say is India; out and out favorites. I can’t really pick any holes in their side. And I know that’s been the case in the last couple of tournaments they’ve gone into,” Morgan commented.
In Group A, India and Pakistan join Bangladesh and New Zealand, while Group B includes Australia, England, South Africa, and Afghanistan.
Morgan emphasized India’s dominant performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup and their success in the T20 World Cup.
“Then the T20 World Cup where they snatched the trophy from South Africa. You have to believe that winning awards and celebrating success fosters confidence because once you’ve experienced it, you can trust that you can achieve it again. That’s why India stands out as the favorites,” he said.
“Regarding the outsiders, I would never discount Pakistan. Playing on home soil will benefit them, and I believe England also has an outside shot. They’ve been struggling for form recently, and with Brendon McCullum now on board, it’s a tall order to accomplish much in a short time.”
“Their match against Australia on Saturday will be crucial, especially with them missing several stars like Cummins and Stoinis, who just retired.”
“I think the winner between those two will likely make an impact. England could surprise us, and I’m really looking forward to it,” Morgan noted.
For Watson, the standout moment from the Champions Trophy was his appearance in the 2002 edition when Australia fell short against host nation Sri Lanka in the semifinals.
“As far as favorites go this time around, it has to be India. They’ve been strengthened by Hardik Pandya’s return as a fast-bowling all-rounder. Although they do miss (Jasprit) Bumrah, their squad is almost identical to the one that dominated the last One-day World Cup until the final,” Watson explained.
He expressed strong confidence in the Australian team’s prospects.
“I’m optimistic about the Aussies; their batting lineup is exceptionally robust. Concerns may arise in the bowling department, but they are well-versed in performing well in major tournaments. So, don’t be shocked if Australia is competitive,” the former Aussie all-rounder added.
The Champions Trophy commenced in Karachi on Wednesday, with Pakistan facing off against New Zealand. India will begin their campaign against Bangladesh at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday.
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