BCCI Secretary Devakit Saikia has urged the Indian cricket team to remain focused and not become complacent as they head into the crucial knockout phase of the Champions Trophy 2025. With dominant victories over Bangladesh and Pakistan, India has already secured a semi-final spot, thanks to New Zealand’s win over Bangladesh.
Despite praising the team’s collective performances, Devakit Saikia emphasized that the real challenge lies ahead. “We don’t need to be complacent… The team must focus on the big matches (semi-final and final). Rohit (Sharma) is scoring, Virat (Kohli) smashed a brilliant ton, and Hardik Pandya bowled really well. We’re very happy with the win over Pakistan,” he told IANS.
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The atmosphere in Dubai was electric, with nearly 70% of the crowd cheering for India. “The energy in the stadium was unreal, and everyone is proud of the team,” BCCI Secretary added.
India’s final group-stage match against New Zealand presents an opportunity to maintain momentum before the high-stakes knockout rounds. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli’s century against Pakistan was a standout moment, sealing victory in style with his trademark cover drive.
Pakistan, the designated hosts, have been eliminated after back-to-back losses. Their last match against Bangladesh is now a dead rubber, marking a disappointing campaign for the Mohammad Rizwan-led side.
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In Group B, the semi-final race remains wide open. With rain delaying the Australia-South Africa clash, both teams will be eager to secure a spot in the knockouts. If the match is washed out, it could give England and Afghanistan a lifeline in the tournament. With high stakes and unpredictable conditions, the battle for a semi-final berth is far from over.\
India Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh
