Monty Panesar predicts 2025 Champions Trophy semi-finalists

Before to the 2025 Champions Trophy, former England cricketer Monty Panesar evaluated the ODI teams of India and England. He feels that while England is not as dependent on its veteran players as the Men in Blue are on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

He stated that the young players who have just joined the starting lineup have performed admirably and that the Three Lions are comfortable without Ben Stokes, Joe Root, and Jonny Bairstow. In any case, he believes that both India and England will go to the Champions Trophy semi-finals, which are scheduled to take place in Karachi on February 19. Aside from that, Panesar selected Australia as a squad that, together with hosts Pakistan, will undoubtedly be among the top four.

“The semi-finals can be played by England, India, Australia, and Pakistan,” Panersar said exclusively at the current Legends League Cricket.

“England’s team is young. They’ve performed admirably versus Australia. They are not depending on previous participants. They don’t rely on Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, or Joe Root. Without Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, or Virat Kohli, I don’t think India can play that way. Without them, I’m not sure if India can compete at a high level. Conversely, when a young player joins the England team, they perform well,” he continued, analyzing the two teams.

The publicity works against India, causing them to lose matches: Monty Panesar

According to Panesar, there is a lot of buzz surrounding India’s games, which puts pressure on the players. Additionally, he claimed that Jos Buttler England is a formidable opponent for India and that they have the ability to defeat elite teams. But, the 42-year-old thinks that since India has finally broken the curse with the T20 World Cup in 2024, they will be playing better in ICC competitions.

“I believe that England is India’s most formidable foe. England is capable of defeating India. In competitions where England plays India in the semifinals or final, England holds a superior record. India is under constant strain and the hype is immense. The publicity really works against India, as they lose matches

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Given that India won the T20 World Cup recently, perhaps they will play well and have mastered the art of winning highly anticipated games. They’ve successfully overcome the obstacle,” he said.