Not Australia or England, Fakhar Zaman predicts four semifinalists of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is just a couple of months away. On Tuesday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the complete schedule for the upcoming event. The tournament is scheduled to be played between February 19 and March 9 with the best 8 teams.

A total of 15 matches will be played in the tournament. 8 teams are divided into two groups with four each. India, Pakistan, New Zealand, and Bangladesh are in Group A, while Australia, England, South Africa, and Afghanistan are in Group B.

Two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-final. The hosts, Pakistan, will enter the tournament as the defending champion. They beat arch-rival India in the final of last season. With top teams making it in the competition, it will be very tough to make it to the knockout.

Fakhar Zaman makes a bold prediction; predicts four Semifinalists for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025

As the countdown begins for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the predictions have started. Pakistan star opener Fakhar Zaman, who slammed a brilliant century in the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy against India and helped his team win the title, comes up with a bold prediction. He picked four teams who might make it to the top four of the tournament.

In a discussion with ex-PAK cricketer Basit Ali, Fakhar named Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, and South Africa as the top four of the tournament. He said, "Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, and South Africa are the teams I believe will reach the semifinals."

However, it is very early to predict the top four of the tournament, but the Southpaw admitted Asian teams will have an advantage and might go a long way. That's why he didn't pick strong teams like Australia, England, or New Zealand. Meanwhile, after the announcement of the schedule, it has been cleared that India will play their games in Dubai.

If they qualify for the semis or final, they will play those games in the final. The blockbuster game between India and Pakistan is scheduled to take place on February 23 in Dubai. The other three venues are Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi, which will host games of other teams other than India.

Also Read: ICC unveil the official Champions Trophy 2025 schedule, know all the details regarding India's matches