DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday, announced the Champions Trophy 2025 Team of the Tournament, with no Pakistani cricketer making it to the Mitchell Santner-led side.
According to a press release issued by the cricket-governing body, five players from India, the winner of the eight-team tournament, have been selected for the Team of the Tournament after they beat New Zealand in a pulsating final.
Four members of the Black Caps squad made the team, including Player of the Tournament Rachin Ravindra, and Mitchell Santner was named captain.
Two players from Afghanistan also made the cut after the Asian nation won its first-ever ICC Men’s Champions Trophy match in their debut appearance.
At the top of the order, Ravindra was an expected selection after he scored two centuries and topped the run-scoring charts with 263.
His knock of 112 against Bangladesh was instrumental in seeing New Zealand over the line, and his 108 in the semi-final against South Africa showed he is dangerous wherever he bats.
He is joined by Ibrahim Zadran at the top of the order. The 23-year-old Afghan more than left his mark on the tournament, scoring a brilliant match-winning knock of 177 — the highest-ever Champions Trophy score — against England in the group stage.
India’s Virat Kohli slots in at number three after he finished fifth in the run-scoring charts with 218 at an average of 54.50.
Kohli made a memorable unbeaten century in his side’s group-stage win over Pakistan and a crucial 84 in the semi-final success over world champions Australia.
Teammates Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul join him in the middle-order after impressive tournaments.
Iyer was India’s top run-scorer, with two half-centuries helping him to 243 runs in total, while Rahul finished with an average of 140 thanks to unbeaten knocks of 42 and 34 in the semi-final and final respectively.
New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips is selected at number six after a brilliant performance with the bat and in the field.
His diving one-handed catch to dismiss Shubman Gill in the final was one of three iconic takes across the tournament, while the 28-year-old scored one half-century against Pakistan and took two wickets against South Africa in the semi-final to go alongside an unbeaten 49.
Azmatullah Omarzai is the second Afghan named in the team. The fast-bowling all-rounder had a fantastic tournament with both bat and ball and finishing with seven wickets at 20 and 126 runs at 42.00.
Santner is named as team captain after finishing the tournament with nine wickets – the joint second-most – but more importantly picked them up at crucial times.
His knack of taking potential game-changing wickets was evident in the final. With the help of a sublime Phillips catch, he removed Shubman Gill and followed it up with the wicket of Iyer.
India’s Mohammed Shami caps a successful return from injury by being selected after finishing with nine wickets.
Matt Henry, unfortunately missed the final due to a shoulder injury he picked up in New Zealand’s semi-final win over South Africa, but he still finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 10 at 16.70.
The team is completed by Varun Chakravarthy, who took nine wickets in just three matches.
He bowled his full allocation in all three matches he played and never went for more than 49. India’s Axar Patel was selected as 12th man.
The selection panel consisted of commentators and former international players Ian Bishop, Simon Doull and Aaron Finch, Hindustan Times journalist Rasesh Mandani and ICC General Manager Events and Corporate Communications, Gaurav Saxena.
Team of the Tournament:
- Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand)
- Ibrahim Zadran (Afghanistan)
- Virat Kohli (India)
- Shreyas Iyer (India)
- KL Rahul (wk) (India)
- Glenn Phillips (New Zealand)
- Azmatullah Omarzai (Afghanistan)
- Mitchell Santner (capt) (New Zealand)
- Mohammad Shami (India)
- Matt Henry (New Zealand)
- Varun Chakravarthy (India)
- Axar Patel (India)
