With the Champions Trophy 2025 just around the corner, cricket fans are eagerly awaiting the excitement that this prestigious tournament has to offer. As teams like Australia, Pakistan, and South Africa have already announced their final squads, the anticipation is building up. The recently concluded tri-series has shown that pace bowlers, as well as spinners, can be equally lethal on Pakistani pitches. This raises the question – which team has the most formidable bowling lineup in the Champions Trophy?
The Indian team has a strong bowling lineup, despite the absence of Jasprit Bumrah due to injury. Mohammad Shami, who took 24 wickets in the 2023 ODI World Cup, is a significant asset to the team, particularly in ICC tournaments. He has a proven track record, having taken 14 wickets in four matches during the 2019 World Cup. Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh can be a game-changer for India, with impressive white-ball statistics, including 17 wickets in the 2024 T20 World Cup. Spin bowler Varun Chakravarthy is in exceptional form, having taken 26 wickets in his last nine T20 innings. The presence of Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav further strengthens the team’s bowling attack.
Other teams, such as England and Pakistan, also boast impressive bowling lineups. Despite losing to India in the ODI and T20 series, England’s Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, and Saqib Mahmood consistently troubled the Indian batsmen with their pace. Adil Rashid took seven wickets in the series against India and could be effective on Pakistani pitches with his turning deliveries. Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi is currently the joint-highest wicket-taker in the tri-series, along with Matt Henry. The team also has Haris Rauf, who has bowled with an impressive economy rate of 3.63 in the tri-series. However, Pakistan’s spin bowling department appears to be their weak link, with Khushdil Shah and Abrar Ahmed not having impressive records.
