The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is set to begin on February 19, with matches taking place in Pakistan and Dubai. Pakistan has been searching for a stable opening partner for Fakhar Zaman, especially after Saim Ayub was ruled out of the tournament due to an ankle injury. In the recent tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa, Babar Azam batted at the top of the order.
In a video posted on his YouTube channel, former India opener Aakash Chopra predicted Pakistan’s likely XI for the ICC event, with Babar positioned at No. 3 in the batting order.
“Looking at their predicted lineup, I believe Saud Shakeel will likely partner with Fakhar Zaman, especially with Saim Ayub being absent. Babar Azam should take the No. 3 spot, followed by Mohammad Rizwan at No. 4, then Salman Agha, Khushdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf, and the pace attack comprising Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, and Abrar Ahmed,” he said (10:00).
“There’s particular attention on three players: Saud Shakeel, as this will be our first proper look at him in action; Khushdil Shah, who has proven himself as an all-rounder in T20s and has a knack for breaking partnerships, but the question is, can he bring that same impact in ODIs? And finally, Abrar Ahmed, who tends to fly under the radar. Not many have faced him, so it’ll be interesting to see how he fares,” he added.
“From the overall team structure, it seems they’re still looking for the right balance. They want solid batting depth through No. 8 or No. 9, alongside all-rounders who can contribute with both bat and ball, like Faheem Ashraf. The core of their batting will still be built around Babar and Rizwan, and I’m particularly curious to see how Saud Shakeel performs in the top order,” he noted.
“They are still heavily reliant on Babar Azam, whose rapid rise to 6,000 ODI runs speaks volumes about his consistency and importance to the team. Babar’s success is closely tied to Pakistan’s victories, and alongside Mohammad Rizwan, they form the backbone of their batting,” Chopra observed.
Babar Azam recently reached the milestone of 6,000 ODI runs, becoming the joint-fastest player, alongside Hashim Amla, to achieve the feat in just 123 innings. Heading into the 2025 Champions Trophy, Babar has accumulated 6,019 runs at an impressive average of 55.73 from 123 ODI innings.
Pakistan’s Probable Playing XI by Aakash Chopra
Fakhar Zaman, Saud Shakeel, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Agha, Khushdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed