Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has declared Pakistan as the favorite for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy. The tournament will begin on February 19 in Pakistan, while India will play all of its matches in the UAE.
Gavaskar stated that Pakistan will have a significant advantage playing on home ground. He further praised India’s performance in the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, where they had an outstanding run, winning 10 consecutive matches before losing in the final.
The ICC Champions Trophy will feature eight teams divided into two groups. A total of 15 matches will be played during the tournament.
Group A will consist of Pakistan, India, New Zealand, and Bangladesh, while Group B will include Afghanistan, South Africa, England, and Australia.
Host nation Pakistan will kick off the tournament on February 19 in Karachi against New Zealand, with the highly anticipated match between Pakistan and India scheduled for February 23 in Dubai.
In an interview, Sunil Gavaskar emphasized that the host team, Pakistan, should be considered the favorite for the tournament, as it is always challenging to defeat a team in their own country.