ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Suresh Raina and Sanjay Bangar make bold prediction about Australia
Published - 17 Feb 2025, 04:24 PM | Updated - 17 Feb 2025, 04:32 PM
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As the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is just two days away from taking over the cricket fans around the world, Australia suffered some setbacks to their plans ahead of the tournament. Some of the key players have withdrawn from the tournament due to various reasons.
Australian captain Pat Cummins and star pacers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are not taking part in the tournament due to personal reasons and injuries. Despite not having their core attack, the World Cup champions can still pose a strong challenge to the other teams in the marquee event.
Suresh Raina and Sanjay Bangar back Australia for ICC Champions Trophy 2025 glory
Even the former Indian cricketers Suresh Raina and Sanjay Bangar feel the participating teams will make a huge mistake if they write off Australia in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Raina believes that Australia will be a strong contender for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.
The former Indian batter has praised the Australian team’s dominance in global tournaments, highlighting their 2023 ODI World Cup win and strong performances in Test cricket, including the WTC Final 2023 victory and Border-Gavaskar Trophy success.
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Suresh Raina picks Australia as finalists despite missing star players
Raina reckoned that Australia’s aggressive style, top-class players, and winning mindset make them a team to watch out for in the eight-nation event. With their history of excelling in ICC events, Raina picked Australia as one of the two finalists in the upcoming Champions Trophy and warned against underestimating the Kangaroos in the tournament.
Suresh Raina said on Star Sports, “I think Australia has always been a great team in the big events. They have a very good team. They have a very good head. They bat aggressively, and they have a very good mindset. That's why I think Australia is a great team.
Before the Champions Trophy starts, I think Australia will always be a favorite. I think they have a very good chance of winning the Champions Trophy. That's why I've given them a place in my finalists. So don't count out Australia as yet.”
Sanjay Bangar backs Australia’s winning mentality for Champions Trophy glory
Meanwhile, Sanjay Bangar believes that Australia remains a strong team despite some weaknesses in the upcoming Champions Trophy. The former Indian batting coach said that the Kangaroos’ winning mindset and ability to handle tough situations make them strong candidates for the title glory.
However, the former Indian batter has stressed that Australia’s success in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy will depend on the skipper Steve Smith’s performances with the bat despite having several experienced campaigners in the squad.
Sanjay Bangar said on Star Sports, “I think Australia is a great team at the moment. They have a very good experience. Yes, there will be some changes. But the real fabric of that particular team is so good that they will find ways to win from hopeless situations.
It's a 50-over cricket. It's a 300-ball cricket. It's a very long game. And in such a game, the value of a player like Steve Smith becomes very important. If Australia has to do well, Smith will have to score a lot of runs.”
🗣 "Don't count Australia 🇦🇺 out as yet!" - #SureshRaina and #SanjayBangar believe that the Aussies are strong contenders to win the #ChampionsTrophy! 🏏
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 17, 2025
How far do you think they will go in #CT2025? ✍️👇#ChampionsTrophyOnJioStar STARTS WED 19 FEB, 1:30 PM on Star Sports! pic.twitter.com/KvGg2ZHTFn
