 "Champions Trophy: Raina believes Virat will be at his best against Pakistan")
The Indian cricket team finally announced their much-anticipated squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on Saturday, and discussions around what to expect from this team in the upcoming marquee tournament have now started to take place. The tournament will mark the end of an eight-year-long hiatus for the Champions Trophy when it kicks off on Wednesday, February 19 — exactly a month from today. The last time a Champions Trophy match was played, it was India vs Pakistan in the 2017 edition final, where Pakistan emerged victorious to lift the trophy.
Former Indian cricketer and a member of India’s 2013 ICC Champions Trophy-winning squad, Suresh Raina, addressed the media through the Star Sports Press Room on Sunday, sharing his views on India’s squad selection and what to expect when arch-rivals India and Pakistan face each other on February 23 in Dubai.
Pressure always on Pakistan
While answering a question about whether India will be under pressure given their recent form and the fact that they lost the final against Pakistan in the last Champions Trophy, Raina said that Pakistan might be a little confident as defending champions, but the pressure scale will be heavier on their side — as is the case during every India vs Pakistan game.
Raina remarked that India have more depth in batting than Pakistan and are on par in bowling, if not better, particularly with Shami and Bumrah available. He added that the loss was a long time ago and that India has since moved on, recording multiple wins over Pakistan. Hence, he doesn’t think the Men in Blue will be under much pressure.
Also Read
Rohit’s leadership experience
Raina also believes that Rohit Sharma’s experience as a leader will give India an extra edge against Pakistan, despite the stark contrast in their recent forms. He noted that Rohit has won the T20 World Cup and five IPL trophies as skipper, making him highly capable of handling pressure situations — unlike Pakistan.
Virat's Pakistan effect
Raina spoke about Virat Kohli and his recent struggles with form, saying that he has been watching Kohli for many years and has never seen him struggle like this. At the same time, he expressed confidence that Kohli will be at his best when he takes the field against Pakistan on February 23. Raina even suggested that fans shouldn’t be surprised if Kohli single-handedly takes the match away from Pakistan and wins the player of the match award.