Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has predicted that India and South Africa are the strong favorites for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 glory. However, the Aussie sang high praise for the Men in Blue, but he wants the Proteas to be crowned as the Champions Trophy winners.
The South Africa National Cricket Team has not won the ICC trophy since 1998. However, they were close to ending their drought in the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, but India shattered their dreams by winning the title clash by seven runs in Barbados last year.
Shane Watson predicts India and South Africa as top contenders for ICC Champions Trophy 2025 glory
With this win, the Indian cricket team also ended their ICC title drought of 13 years. But this time, Shane Watson feels it is time for the Proteas side to lift the cup.
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Well, the former Australian all-rounder said that India will be an unstoppable force in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025 given their formidable squad and their ability to thrive in hot, humid conditions. So, the Men in Blue are hard to ignore for the championship.
Shane Watson wrote in his column for ICC: “India has an incredibly strong squad, and the conditions will suit them, of course. It’s a squad that is used to hot and humid conditions, so they will be hard to beat. There is hardly any player turnover from the last World Cup to now, and that consistency is hard to overlook.”
I really believe in this Proteas team: Shane Watson
However, the real surprise comes with Watson’s strong backing for South Africa and bold predictions. Watson highlighted South Africa’s destructive batting firepower and their diverse bowling attack, which includes lethal spinners, to call them a serious threat to other participants.
The former Australian player added, “The other team I really like is South Africa. They made the final in the last T20 World Cup and have so much talent there. I know they have not quite gotten over the line at ICC events, but I really believe in this team.
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“The batting lineup is so good; they have Heinrich Klaasen, who is one of the best short-format batters in the world, and David Miller as well. They have a range of skills with the ball as well, and the spinners add huge value there.”
If they do, the floodgates could well open: Shane Watson’s big prediction for South Africa
Watson also believes that the current South African squad is different from the past—free from the baggage of previous ICC heartbreaks and ready to rewrite history.
The Aussie predicted that if the South Africans could finally break the curse, it could mark the beginning of a dominant era for the Proteas on the global stage.
He signed off by saying, “I would be surprised if they don’t get over the line in an ICC event soon because this generation has the talent and doesn’t have the scars. If they do, the floodgates could well open.”
Notably, South Africa had a dominant start to their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign, beating Afghanistan by 107 runs in Karachi to send a warning to other teams not to take them lightly.
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