Ponting and Shastri predict Champions Trophy finalists

The Champions Trophy is just around the corner, and ahead of the global tournament, former India coach Ravi Shastri and Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting have picked their favorite finalists.

According to Ricky Ponting, the final of the Champions Trophy will feature India and Australia. Speaking to Sanjana Ganesan in an ICC review, Ponting said, "It’s hard to look past Australia and India. Think about the skill of the current players of both teams and look at the history of their past finals. Inevitably, the names of Australia and India come up as favorites."

Ponting's statement is not without merit. It seems almost unimaginable to have a global tournament final without either India or Australia. In 2023, both teams played in the finals of the Test and ODI World Cups, with Australia defeating India in both tournaments to claim the titles. India, on the other hand, played in the T20 World Cup final last year.

Alongside India and Australia, Ponting has also included Pakistan as one of the favorites. Talking about Pakistan, who won the title in the last Champions Trophy in 2017, he said, "Pakistan is also playing good cricket at the moment. They’ve been exceptional in ODIs recently."

On the other hand, Ravi Shastri echoed Ponting’s thoughts, saying, "Along with India and Australia, England and South Africa could also make it to the semifinals. However, the chances of India and Australia playing in the final are the highest."