Champions Trophy: BCCI Vice President Confident India Will Beat Australia In Semi-Final

March 4, 2025: As India gears up for their much-anticipated semi-final clash against Australia in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025, BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla expressed high confidence in India’s ability to secure a spot in the final.

Ahead of the match at the Dubai International Stadium on Tuesday, Shukla said, "I am very confident, India should win. All our players are in form, they are focused. They are excited to win this match. They have won consecutive matches, and they are confident of winning. They will win and enter the final."

The semi-final promises to be an exciting encounter, with both teams bringing a mix of history, rivalry, and current form to the table. For India, the memories of their triumph in the 2023 Men's Cricket World Cup, coupled with their recent performances, will be on their minds. However, Australia, known for its resilience and ability to rise to the challenge, could be a formidable opponent, despite missing some key contributors.

Badruddin Siddiqui, the coach of Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami, also weighed in on the upcoming clash, noting that while Australia's bowling attack may be inexperienced, they still pose a serious challenge. "The Australian cricket team is playing with inexperienced bowling, but still is a great team... Indian team is also performing well. The combination of batters and quality spinners in the Indian team is great," Siddiqui said.

Both teams have been in top form throughout the tournament, and this semi-final encounter is expected to deliver the high drama that ICC tournaments are known for. With the stakes higher than ever, the clash promises to be a thrilling spectacle for cricket fans worldwide.

India Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.

Australia Squad: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa.

The stage is set for a thrilling semi-final as both teams prepare to battle for a spot in the final, with Shukla’s optimism boosting India’s chances and heightening expectations for an exciting contest.