ICC Champions Trophy 2025: India to face a 'WEAK' team in warm-up game

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is less than a month away and preparations for the tournament are in full swing. Almost all the teams have officially announced their squads except the hosts Pakistan, who are currently awaiting confirmation on their opener Saim Ayub's fitness.

Team India is the latest team to announce their squad for the tournament. The Men in Blue will begin their campaign on February 20 with a game against Bangladesh in Dubai. However, it is possible that these two teams might face each other a few days before the tournament as well.

India is likely to play a warm-up match before the tournament and it is likely to be played against either Bangladesh or the UAE. It will be the only practice match for the team as they prepare for the high-profile tournament.

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India to play a practice match against Bangladesh or UAE

According to Dainik Jagran, India will play a practice match before the Champions Trophy. The date for the match isn't fixed yet but one out of Bangladesh and the UAE is likely to be the opponent.

🔥 चैंपियंस ट्राफी से पहले अभ्यास मैच खेलेगा भारत
🔥 दुबई में बांग्लादेश या यूएई से हो सकता है मैच, तिथि अभी तय नहीं
🔥 चूंकि भारत और बांग्लादेश को छोड़कर बाकी टीमें पाकिस्तान में मौजूद रहेंगी तो ज्यादा संभावना है कि भारत और बांग्लादेश के बीच अभ्यास मैच कराया जाए
🔥 अगर इस बार…

— Abhishek Tripathi / अभिषेक त्रिपाठी (@abhishereporter) January 26, 2025

India and Bangladesh will be the only teams in Dubai at that time as they will be playing against each other in their first game of the tournament. Apart from these two teams, all the other teams will be present in Pakistan for their respective matches.

As a result, Bangladesh becomes a viable option for India against whom they can play a practice match. However, it is not yet official and will be decided in a few days by the boards of the respective countries.

Meanwhile, there is also another option of playing a practice match against UAE. Playing a game in Dubai will be easier for the UAE as it is their home ground. It will also be a big opportunity for them to test their team against a high-quality opposition. It is to be noted that UAE are not a part of the Champions Trophy.

India's schedule for Champions Trophy 2025

India have been slotted with Bangladesh, New Zealand, and hosts Pakistan. They will play their first match against Bangladesh on February 20. Afterwards, they will play the arch-rivals Pakistan on February 23 in Dubai. Their last group match will be played against New Zealand on March 2.

The other group includes Australia, England, Afghanistan, and South Africa. The tournament will be played from February 19 to March 9. The opening match of the tournament will be played between hosts Pakistan and New Zealand in Karachi.

India to play in Dubai

While all the other teams will play in Pakistan, India will play their matches in Dubai after the BCCI confirmed the Indian government's denial to send their team to Pakistan due to security concerns.

As a result, the tournament is being played in a hybrid model with India playing all its matches in Dubai. If India manage to qualify for knockouts, they will continue to play in Dubai. The Men in Blue have a strong squad with Rohit Sharma as their captain.