The ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy (CT) is about to get going on February 19, 2025. The tournament is making a return after a long gap of eight years, with Pakistan and the UAE co-hosting the latest edition.
Eight of the best ODI teams will feature in the event. And all of them are more than ready, with their skippers eager to grab the trophy.
A couple of captains are new to the ICC events while some are carrying their experience from other tournaments. With that said, here are the captains of all teams in the Champions Trophy 2025 edition.
Afghanistan
Captain: Hashmatullah Shahidi
After securing a spot in CT 2025, Hashmatullah Shahidi will make his captaincy debut in the 50-over event. Shahidi has led Afghanistan to some memorable wins, especially in the 2023 World Cup.
Under his leadership, Afghanistan pulled off wins against England, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan in the previous World Cup. Riding on those comprehensive victories, the Asian side qualified for CT 2025.
Now, Shahidi will look to repeat the World Cup performance in CT 2025 and hopefully make the final of this tournament.
Australia
Captain: Steven Smith
The Australian squad has seen a shake-up, and there’s a bit of change in leadership as well. The 2023 World Cup champions will miss their regular skipper, Pat Cummins, due to an injury.
Thus, his deputy, Steven Smith, will fill in for him in the Champions Trophy 2025. Smith has a good captaincy record while leading the Aussies in international cricket.
However, he has led them in only two ICC events. And his last such outing came in the previous Champions Trophy played in 2017.
During that edition, Australia returned with empty hands, but Smith will aim to head back with the trophy this time.
Bangladesh
Captain: Najmul Hossain Shanto
Bangladesh will have the services of Najmul Hossain Shanto as their skipper. This will be his third ICC event as a skipper.
Shanto was instrumental in taking Bangladesh to the Super Eight round in the 2024 T20 World Cup before they crashed out of the tournament. He will look to keep that disappointment aside and lead the squad with a fresh perspective.
England
Captain: Jos Buttler
Jos Buttler is ready to lead England in yet another ICC tournament. This will be his fourth ICC event as a skipper.
But Buttler will have a task cut out to bring England to the top. The English side hasn’t been in great touch in ODIs since the 2023 World Cup.
And their recent performance isn’t promising as well. So Buttler will have to take England back to their best days and finish with the title.
India
Captain: Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma will be entering the Champions Trophy 2025 with a lot of confidence. He led the Men in Blue to title victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
And the Indian skipper will look forward to adding another trophy to the cabinet. He will be captaining an experienced squad.
Since the 2023 World Cup, India have been in top form, brushing aside some of the heavyweights. So India are favourites to lift the whole thing in Dubai.
Also Read | 5 Memorable Moments from India’s 2024 T20 World Cup Win
New Zealand
Captain: Mitchell Santner
This will be Mitchell Santner’s first outing as New Zealand captain in an ICC event. The left-hand spinner has been given the charge recently, with Kane Williamson standing down.
Santner seems to have got the hang of captaincy, having won the recently concluded tri-series in Pakistan. Now, the Kiwis will root for him to guide them to the trophy.
Pakistan
Captain: Mohammad Rizwan
Mohammad Rizwan is the other skipper who will make a captaincy debut in an ICC tournament. The experienced keeper-batter has a wonderful opportunity to lead Pakistan on their home soil, that too in the Champions Trophy.
Rizwan doesn’t have vast captaincy experience, but he will be leading Pakistan in familiar conditions. He will look to make the most out of it and defend Pakistan’s title in front of the home crowd.
South Africa
Captain: Temba Bavuma
South Africa have been a consistent force in the last few ICC events. But they have fallen short of tasting major success on countless occasions.
So the Proteas men, led by Temba Bavuma, will be keen to change their fortunes. Bavuma has had his moments while captaining the South African unit, especially in the last ODI World Cup.
He was at the helm of the South African team that made it to the semi-final of that tournament. This time around, Bavuma will look to hand South Africa their second Champions Trophy title.
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