ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Five batters to watch out for

The ICC Champions Trophy is less than a fortnight away, as fans from all over the world get excited for this year’s multi-nation cricket tournament. For the first time since 2017, the Champions Trophy is getting a reboot as it is being jointly hosted by Pakistan and UAE. 

With the tournament being played on venues that have generally been high-scoring, this Champions Trophy could be dominated by the batters. With plenty of star-studded batters across teams featuring in this tournament, here’s a look at five batters to watch out for in the Champions Trophy. 

1. Virat Kohli

The former Indian captain was the Player of the Tournament in the previous world event in ODIs, namely the 2023 World Cup. He has been out of form in the recent past, but a return to his preferred format should be cause for optimism. Virat Kohli’s numbers in ODIs are staggering, as he averages 58.18 and has a whopping 50 centuries to his name. Fans would hope that the ‘king’ could add to that list now in the Champions Trophy. 

2. Joe Root

Joe Root has been in spectacular form in Tests and T20s over the past six months or so, as he scored a bucketload of runs against New Zealand and was also the second-highest run-getter for Paarl Royals in the SA20, this year. He has been overlooked by England for the T20I format but remains an integral part of the ODI setup. Arriving onto the Champions Trophy off the back of some solid performances, Joe Root’s form would be key for a faltering England to feet their momentum once again in the limited format game. 

3. Babar Azam

Another batter, who has been woefully out of form over the last year or so, Babar Azam would be hoping that the Champions Trophy signals a change in fortunes for him. The former Pakistani skipper was a key part of the team’s triumph in 2017, solidifying their middle order. Babar Azam also has a superb batting average of 73.5 while playing in home ODIs, which includes seven centuries as well. He is currently the top-ranked ODI batter as well. All signs point towards a Babar Azam redemption arc in the Champions Trophy. 

4. Travis Head

Australia’s undoubted big game and big tournament player, Travis Head would be licking his lips at the opportunity that presents itself now in the Champions Trophy. He is Australia’s top-ranked batter in this format and is heading into the tournament after a fine showing in the Border Gavaskar series. He got starts against England in all the ODIs last year, going on to score a brutal 154 not out in one of the games. With skipper Pat Cummins and ace bowler Josh Hazlewood most likely ruled out for the Champions Trophy, Travis Head would be even more eager to take on the mantle and perform for Australia in this crucial tournament. 

5. Rohit Sharma

India’s skipper Rohit Sharma has been a bit off-color since the home Tests against New Zealand, but he too would be raring to go for this Champions Trophy. He has struggled in Tests off late, but ODI cricket could be a totally different ball game. Rohit Sharma was the lone performer for India in the series defeat against Sri Lanka last year. He had also been a consistent performer for India throughout the 2023 World Cup, providing the team with blitzkrieg starts that were then capitalized by the middle order. With age not on his side and murmurs of retirement, Rohit Sharma would hope to end on a high if this is to be his last hurrah in One Day Internationals.