Category: Sports

The fifth match of the Champions Trophy 2025 between India and Pakistan was scrutinized for every minute detail, including Hardik Pandya’s exceptional bowling that turned the game on its head.

However, apart from his match-winning performance, another aspect that grabbed everyone’s attention was the luxurious timepiece on his wrist.

Pakistan won the toss and opted to field first, inviting India to bat. Hardik Pandya played a crucial role in shifting the momentum by dismissing Babar Azam and setting the tone for the match.

After taking Babar Azam’s wicket, eagle-eyed fans and media noticed a stunning watch on Pandya’s wrist—a Richard Mille RM 27-02. This limited-edition and rare timepiece is worth a staggering $800,000 (approximately 22 crore Pakistani rupees).

Available on the online platform Gem Nation, the watch is famous for its advanced engineering and superior craftsmanship, making it a collector’s dream.

The Richard Mille RM 27-02 boasts several impressive features, including Grade 5 titanium bridges, a skeletonized design, and a 70-hour power reserve. Its quartz TPT case gives it a unique black-and-white appearance, making it both a fashion statement and a technical marvel.

Originally designed for tennis legend Rafael Nadal, the watch features carbon and quartz fibre construction, an anti-reflective sapphire crystal, and shock resistance, making it one of the most durable timepieces in the world.

Hardik Pandya’s love for high-end watches is an open secret. His collection includes some of the rarest and most expensive timepieces in the world, establishing him as a true connoisseur of luxury watches.

Legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram has called for major changes as Pakistan’s white-ball struggles hit a new low with their six-wicket loss to India in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Group A match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on February 23.

Speaking on Sports Central, Akram criticised Pakistan’s outdated strategies and poor performances, urging bold decisions to rebuild the team ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup.

“Enough is enough. We have been playing old-fashioned cricket for too long. Now it’s time for bold steps. Bring in fearless young players into white-ball cricket. If we need to make five or six changes, do it. Even if we lose for six months, it’s fine, but we must start preparing for the future,” he said.

Akram also slammed the PCB and selectors for persisting with underperforming players instead of giving new talent a chance. He highlighted that in Pakistan’s last five ODIs, the bowlers have taken just 24 wickets at an average of 60 runs per wicket—one of the worst records among 14 international teams, including Oman and the USA.

He urged PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi to question head coach Aaqib Javed, captain Mohammad Rizwan, and the selectors over their squad choices for the Champions Trophy.

The former captain also criticised Rizwan’s leadership, holding him responsible for the team’s struggles. He questioned why players like Khushdil Shah and Salman Ali Agha were included despite not contributing with the ball.

“I’ve been saying for weeks that this squad isn’t good enough, but the chairman insisted it was the best. Even Rizwan is responsible—he is the captain, and if he doesn’t know what kind of match-winners he needs, the team will keep facing embarrassment,” he said.

Akram did not hold back in his criticism of Pakistan’s fast bowlers, highlighting their alarming form with hard-hitting stats.

He pointed out that Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan’s lead pacer, has struggled in recent matches.

“Shaheen Shah Afridi, our main bowler, has bowled 47 overs in the last five matches, conceding 341 runs and taking just eight wickets at an average of 43. This is not batting; I am talking about bowling.”

The former captain then turned his attention to Haris Rauf, who has also been underwhelming in recent games.

“Haris Rauf, in his last three matches, has taken just three wickets at an average of 52.”

Adding to Pakistan’s woes, Naseem Shah’s numbers were no better, further exposing the team’s weak bowling attack.

“Naseem Shah has taken five wickets in 46 overs across five ODIs, with an average of 56.”

Summing up the harsh reality of Pakistan’s bowling performance, Wasim Akram did not mince his words.

“Your three premier bowlers are averaging over 50 per wicket. You are not going to win any game, unfortunately. That statistic is horrifying. 60 percent of your bowling attack is averaging 50,” he highlighted.

Pakistan lost their first match of the tournament to New Zealand by 60 runs, whereas India defeated Greenshirts by six wickets in the second match on Sunday.

India secured a commanding six-wicket victory over Pakistan in their high-stakes ICC Champions Trophy clash on Sunday, with Virat Kohli delivering a match-winning century that all but ended Pakistan’s title defence.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Pakistan struggled to capitalise on the decision, getting bowled out for 241 runs in 49.4 overs.

Chasing 242, India’s batting remained in complete control, led by Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 100 off 111 balls. His composed innings ensured India never came under pressure, and they comfortably reached the target with six wickets in hand.

Apart from him, Shubman Gill scored 46 off 52 balls, while Shreyas Iyer contributed 56 off 67.

The match result sparked strong reactions from cricket experts, many of whom highlighted India’s superiority and Pakistan’s struggles.

Indian journalist Shekhar Gupta wrote, “On some rare day, Pakistan may beat India. But this ‘greatest rivalry in the world’ business is just desperate TV channel hype. No team with Pakistan’s ‘athleticism’ can be world-class.”

Michael Kugelman (South Asia Analyst, Wilson Center) wrote, “Pakistan is hosting a major international cricket tourney for the first time since 1996, but faced India in Dubai as India declined to travel to Pakistan. For Pakistan, it would’ve been poetic justice to beat India today—but also quite implausible. Team Green left feeling blue yet again.”

Indian cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle wrote, “India played at a different level today, and, to be honest, it wasn’t ever a contest.”

Former India cricketer and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar wrote, “Every time we play Pakistan these days, we are reminded of the growth of Indian cricket and the decline of Pakistan cricket. Longer the format, wider the gulf.”

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari also commented on the national team’s performance, stating, “I told you, neither our bowling nor our batting is up to the mark. Neither has modern techniques. Now, world-class teams will play in the Champions Trophy. Our job is done.”

Pakistani cricket expert Saj Sadiq wrote, “It’s like Men versus Boys these days when it’s India versus Pakistan. The approach, the tactics, the preparation, and the team before individual performance ethic. It’s on a different level.”

“Too many current players representing Pakistan who are timid, afraid to show any aggression, mentally weak, literally defeated before they enter the field against stronger opposition, scared of losing their spot in the team, selfish and only concerned about their performance ahead of the team’s needs,” he further added.

Over the past week, Pakistan lost their first match of the tournament to New Zealand by 60 runs, while India defeated the Greenshirts by six wickets in the second match on Sunday.

Pakistan’s former cricket legend Inzamam Ul Haq has finally spoken up about what he said after the infamous 1999 World Cup comical runout.

During a Star Sports special show for Champions Trophy featuring Navjot Singh Sidhu, Inzamam Ul Haq, Shahid Afridi, and Yuvraj Singh, the conversation took a hilarious turn when Sidhu brought up Inzamam’s infamous runout.

The incident, which happened during the 1999 World Cup match against Australia, saw Inzamam getting run out in an unusual manner, with Wasim Akram unintentionally playing a role in his dismissal.

Sidhu, known for his witty remarks, teased Inzamam by recalling the moment, saying, “Wasim has told this story 15 times. He called you for a run; you said, ‘Yes, let’s go for two,’ but then you slipped and fell. Wasim kept running, and when you looked up, you said, ‘Wasim bhai, aap yahan kahan?’ (Wasim Bhai, why are you here?)”

The entire panel burst into laughter as Inzamam responded with a humorous explanation. “Tell me one thing—we had already decided that we had to take a run so that I could get back on strike. One batsman has fallen in front of you, and you are still running! Didn’t you see me? Were you blindfolded? What were you thinking?”

The lighthearted banter continued as Shahid Afridi and Yuvraj Singh joined in, adding their jokes about Inzamam’s history of getting run out in unusual ways.

Meanwhile, during the Pakistan vs India match on February 23, commentator Wasim Akram was asked about Imam Ul Haq’s runout in the 10th over. The dismissal, caused by Axar Patel’s direct hit, reminded many of Imam’s uncle, Inzamam Ul Haq. Akram and Sunil Gavaskar joked about how getting run out seems to “run in the Haq family.”

India outclassed Pakistan by six wickets, thanks to a brilliant century by Virat Kohli. Kohli became only the third player to score 14,000 runs in ODIs, achieving the milestone faster than anyone else.

Defending champions Pakistan have lost two of their three Champions Trophy group stage matches and currently stand at the bottom of the table with 0 points as well as a net run rate (NRR) of -1.087.

While they are virtually out of the race with only one fixture left against Bangladesh, the following could still help Greenshirts qualify for the semifinals:

Pakistan must beat Bangladesh by a huge margin to improve NRR, ending with at least two points.

At the same time, India and Bangladesh must beat New Zealand to keep Black Caps also at two points from their win against Pakistan.

Since Bangladesh have already lost their fixture against India, the aforementioned scenario would leave all Group A teams except India with 2 points each.

In this case, the second semifinalist will be decided through NRR, leaving some qualification hope for Pakistan.

It, however, may be noted that the scenario seems impossible for the time being given current form of said teams and Greenshirts having no control over any of other teams’ matches.

Over the past one week, Pakistan lost their first match of the tournament to New Zealand by 60 runs whereas India defeated Greenshirts by six wickets in the second match on Sunday.

India on Sunday defeated Pakistan by six wickets in the high-tension ICC Champions Trophy fixture as Virat Kohli steered his team to victory with a decisive century.

Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first but failed to play the full 50 overs, getting bowled out for 241 runs in 49.4 overs.

Pakistan lost its first wicket at 41 runs when Babar Azam returned to the pavillion after scoring 23 runs. Shortly after, Imam Ul Haq was run out for just 10 runs.

The third wicket fell at a total of 151 when captain Mohammad Rizwan was dismissed for 46 runs off 77 balls. Saud Shakeel followed soon after, scoring 62 runs.

Pakistan suffered another blow at 165 runs when Tayyab Tahir departed after scoring only four runs. The team’s struggles continued as vice-captain Salman Ali Agha was dismissed for 19 runs followed by Shaheen Shah Afridi, who returned to the pavilion without scoring any runs.

The lower order couldn’t contribute much with Naseem Shah scoring 14, Haris Rauf 8 and Khushdil Shah 38 runs.

For India, Kuldeep Yadav led the bowling attack, taking three wickets. Hardik Pandya picked up two wickets, while Ajay Jadeja, Harshit Rana and Axar Patel claimed one wicket each.

The Indian team comfortably chased the target, reaching 242 runs for the loss of four wickets. The highlight of the chase was Kohli’s masterclass.

The star Indian batter scored 100 runs off 111 balls. His knock cemented India’s win, sending hosts and defending champions Pakistan virtually out of the tournament.

Defending champions Pakistan are set to take on India in a high-voltage match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at the Dubai International Stadium today.

Here’s all you need to know about the match…

Fixture: Pakistan vs India
Date: 23 February, 2024
Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium UAE
Time: 2:00 pm PST, 2:30 pm IST

Teams Overview

Pakistan Overview

Pakistan, the defending champions, aim to find consistency after an up-and-down run. Despite having world-class players like Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi, their unpredictability often proves costly. Fakhar Zaman’s injury is a setback, but Imam Ul Haq will look to fill the gap.

India 

India enters the match as favourites, fueled by their recent T20 triumphs and a dominant ODI series win over England. Rohit Sharma’s squad boasts a strong batting lineup of experienced all-rounders and a lethal spin attack suited for Dubai’s conditions.

Head-to-Head Record in ODIs

Total Matches: 134
Pakistan Wins: 73
India Wins: 56
No Result: 5

Probable Playing XIs

Pakistan

Imam ul Haq
Mohammad Rizwan, captain and wicketkeeper
Babar Azam
Saud Shakeel
Salman Ali Agha
Khushdil Shah
Faheem Ashraf
Shaheen Shah Afridi
Haris Rauf
Naseem Shah
Abrar Ahmed

India 

Rohit Sharma captain
Shubman Gill, vice-captain
Virat Kohli
Shreyas Iyer
KL Rahul wicketkeeper
Hardik Pandya
Ravindra Jadeja
Kuldeep Yadav
Mohammed Shami
Harshit Rana
Axar Patel

Pitch Report Dubai International Stadium

The pitch in Dubai offers a balanced surface with assistance for both pacers and spinners. Batters who settle in can score big, but fast bowlers will get movement early on. Spinners will play a key role in the middle overs, while seamers may extract bounce under lights. The average first innings score is between 250 and 270, and teams batting first have won 55 per cent of ODIs at this venue.

TV Broadcast & Live Streaming

Pakistan – TV: PTV Sports, Ten Sports | Live Streaming: Myco, Tamasha
India – TV: Star Sports, Sports18 | Live Streaming: JioHotstar
Bangladesh – TV: Nagorik TV, T Sports | Live Streaming: Toffee
UAE – TV: CricLife MAX, CricLife MAX2 | Live Streaming: STARZPLAY
UK – TV: Sky Sports | Live Streaming: SkyGo Now, Sky Sports App
USA & Canada – TV: Willow TV
Australia – TV: Amazon
New Zealand – TV: Sky Sport NZ
Sri Lanka – TV: Maharaja TV | Live Streaming: Sirasa
Caribbean – TV: ESPN Caribbean | Live Streaming: ESPN Play

In the fourth match of the ICC Champions Trophy, Australia created history by successfully chasing the highest-ever target in the tournament’s history, defeating England by five wickets.

Chasing a massive target of 352, Australia successfully reached the total in the 48th over, losing just five wickets. Wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis played a match-winning knock, scoring an unbeaten 120 off 86 balls.

Other key contributions came from Alex Carey 69, Matthew Short 63, and Marnus Labuschagne 47. Meanwhile, Travis Head and captain Steve Smith were dismissed cheaply for 6 and 5 runs, respectively. Glenn Maxwell remained not out with 32 runs.

For England, Adil Rashid, Liam Livingstone, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse picked claimed one wicket each.

Earlier, after being invited to bat first, England posted a formidable total of 351/8 in their 50 overs.

Opener Ben Duckett stole the show with a magnificent 165-run innings. Joe Root added 68, while captain Jos Buttler, 23; Jamie Smith, 15; Liam Livingstone, 14; Phil Salt, 10; Brydon Carse, 8; and Harry Brook, 3, failed to make a major impact.

For Australia, Ben Dwarshuis took three wickets while Adam Zampa and Marnus Labuschagne picked up two each. Glenn Maxwell chipped in with one wicket.

In the opening match of the tournament, New Zealand defeated hosts Pakistan by 60 runs on Feb 19. In the second game, India outclassed Bangladesh with a six-wicket victory.

On Friday, South Africa secured a convincing 107-run win over Afghanistan in Karachi.

The much-awaited Pakistan vs India clash is set to take place tomorrow (Feb 23) in Dubai, promising a high-voltage contest.

The match that cricket fans around the world have been waiting for is finally here. Sunday promises to be a thrilling day as Pakistan, led by Mohammad Rizwan, is set to take on India in a high-voltage encounter.

India started their campaign on a strong note with a win over Bangladesh, while Pakistan suffered a defeat against New Zealand in their first match. This has made the upcoming match even more crucial for the defending champions.

Pakistan is likely to make several changes in their lineup due to injuries. 

Star batsman Fakhar Zaman has been ruled out of the tournament, and in his absence, Imam Ul Haq is expected to open the innings. Saud Shakeel, who has struggled with scores of 15, 8, and 6 since his ODI comeback, might not get a chance in the game. Instead, the team could bring in Kamran Ghulam to strengthen the middle order.

Here is Pakistan’s potential playing XI against India:

Imam Ul Haq, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan (captain & wicketkeeper), Agha Salman, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf and Abrar Ahmed.

Dubai International Cricket Stadium, famously known as the ‘Ring of Fire’, is all set to host the much-anticipated Pakistan vs India clash in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. 

Fans from both sides of the border are waiting with baited breath for the thrilling encounter, but there’s one question on many minds—can rain impact the match?

Dubai has recently experienced cool winds at night, and on Tuesday, February 18, the city received rainfall, raising concerns for upcoming games. Similar fears arose ahead of the India vs Bangladesh match on Thursday, especially after hail and rain hit Jebel Jais, Ras Al Khaimah—the highest peak in the UAE. However, the India-Bangladesh game remained unaffected.

According to the UAE Meteorological Department, there is a possibility of light rain in Dubai on Sunday night and early Monday morning. However, weather experts believe that if it does rain, it will be for a short duration, making it unlikely to disrupt the match significantly.

Temperature & Match Conditions

Weather forecast for Sunday in Dubai predicts:
Daytime temperature: 33°C
Night temperature: 20°C

With cooler temperatures at night, players might experience pleasant playing conditions, but occasional wind gusts could play a role.

Under the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 regulations, there is no reserve day for group-stage matches. This means that if rain does interrupt the game, overs may be reduced, or in extreme cases, the match could end without a result.