Virat Kohli earned a spot in the ICC Champions Trophy 'Team of the Tournament,' joining five other players in the 12-member team. He scored 218 runs in the match, averaging 54.50. Kohli also made a big impact with an unbeaten century against Pakistan and a crucial 84 in the semi-final against Australia.

India won the Champions Trophy for the third time by beating New Zealand by four wickets in the final. This victory adds to their 2002 and 2013 titles. Along with Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul also made the team. Iyer led India with 243 runs, while Rahul finished with a strong average of 140.

New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra topped the run charts with 263 runs. He played a key role in the country’s success, scoring 112 against Bangladesh and 108 in the semi-final against South Africa. Ravindra teamed up with Afghan player Ibrahim Zadran, who scored 177 against England.

The team also includes New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner as captain, who took nine wickets during the match. Other standout players are Mohammed Shami from India and Varun Chakravarthy.

This year’s tournament showcased exciting talent from many teams.

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England was unceremoniously eliminated from the Champions Trophy by Afghanistan, losing by eight runs. It was an emotional result, especially for captain Jos Buttler, who will get the brunt of the flak from everyone in the cricket community. 

Now, he has hinted about a potential exit from his captain role in the Three Lions�?One-Day International squad. He is not making an emotion-fuelled decision yet, but the nine losses over the last 10 matches have taken their toll on the captain.

Buttler is a decorated captain, but it might be time to go

While the recent record has been disappointing for England, Buttler has represented the Three Lions well. He had a successful start to his captaincy after succeeding Eoin Morgan, winning the 2022 T20 World Cup. That kind of achievement is difficult to get, but it was Buttler behind one of the most successful stretches of the Three Lions. 

Unfortunately, that success might be too far in the past because it has been a disappointing run since then. After Matthew Mott was dismissed from his role as the England coach, Buttler also questioned his standing within the team. With the many losses in the tour of India and this Champions Trophy exit, he has valid reasons to exit the team.

‘I’ve got to work out personally, am I part of the problem or am I part of the solution? I’m not going to make any emotional decisions right here, right now. The guys at the top �?they’re in charge, and they will have their own views as well�? Buttler said.

English cricket can return to success soon

Despite the loss in the Champions Trophy, it is tough to count out England in cricket. It is one of the most successful nations in the sport, and people should not be too worried about it. The team will find a way, whether that is with Buttler as captain or not. It will be interesting to see because the Three Lions might make some big adjustments to the system.

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The Pakistan cricket team wants to defend their championship in the ICC Champions Trophy. While they have a strong squad headlined by captain Mohammad Rizwan, they are getting a significant boost with the return of Haris Rauf.

Rizwan believes the fast bowler is prepared to play for their first One-Day International (ODI) match against New Zealand. That is fantastic news, considering Rauf can boost the team’s chances of winning games and even the entire tournament.

Rauf is ready to contribute for Pakistan

After suffering a muscular sprain in his chest area back in early February, Rauf is back and better than ever. He last played against the Black Caps, and he will potentially return against the same country. 

Pakistan, especially, Rizwan is ecstatic with the news of Rauf returning to the squad. The captain said, ‘He's bowling with full rhythm today, too. He's also putting work in the gym and isn't complaining of any pains. We think he's fully fit�?

With this news, expect Pakistan to compete at the highest level and look to stay in title contention.

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England is beginning their International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy campaign without Jacob Bethel for the rest of the season due to injury. Tom Banton steps in as a replacement, confirming his return to the national team for the tournament. He’s playing in the third One Day International (ODI) against Team Australia on the 22nd of February.

Tom Banton's possible contribution to the squad

Wicket-keeper batsman Tom Banton is replacing batting all-rounder Jacob Bethel in the English Team. He hasn’t been on the national team since 2020 after facing stiff competition among other English cricketers. In the meantime, he’s batted mostly for Twenty20 International (T20I) where he’s shown a strong performance as the leading run-scorer. 

However, he’s mostly renowned for his participation in limited-over formats instead of longer cricket. England has often favoured Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler for the roles he’s expected to fill. Now with Jacob Bethel injured and out for the season, Team England had to recall their Tom Banton. 

Adding another batter, especially one from the T20 format, gives England a more aggressive playstyle for the 50-over format. He is speculated to be a strong opening batsman specialising in powerplay. It’s a great opportunity to overwhelm Australia which is currently missing key players like captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Mitchel Marsh.

Jacob Bethel's injury and other status update on the ODI

Jacob Bethel suffered a left hamstring injury during the ODI series against India at the 3rd ODI on the 12th of February 2025. It was so bad that he was ruled out of the 2025 Champions Trophy but he will have further assessment at Ahmedabad when the team arrives on Monday. It was unfortunate for the team but they lost the game to Team India who is now leading the series by 1-0 lead. 

Tom Banton's first game is on 22nd February 

The game with Australia will be at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. There were other names considered before they eventually chose Tom Banton including Finn Allen, the New Zealand wicket-keeper with over 160 strike rate. Kyle Mayers was also mentioned for his flexibility. 

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