Champions Trophy 2025: Five Batters To Watch Out For

In this article, we take a look at the five batters to watch out for in Champions Trophy 2025. 

Jos Buttler

The 34-year-old wicketkeeper batter will play a huge role if England are to pose any threat in the Champions Trophy. England has been an unpredictable side in recent times, however, what’s becoming consistent is their inconsistency. 

Jos Buttler, over the last year, has been in a good run of form. What didn’t work for England during last year’s ODI world cup was their top order batters failing consistently. That being said, Butler’s form in the lead up to the ICC tournament has been a big boost for the Three Lions. 

In the ongoing T20I series against India, which will be followed by three ODIs, the England skipper already has scores of 68(44) and 45(30) in the first two T20Is. Given that the pitches in Pakistan will be similar or better suited for batting, it bodes well for England and Buttler. 

Travis Head

There are very few batters as destructive and ruthless as the 31-year-old Australian. He was one of the main architects in Australia’s 2023 ODI World Cup win in India and has since been in great form across all formats. 

Having led Australia to a memorable World Cup win in 2023, Head carried on the good work in IPL 2024 and the T20 World Cup last summer. He scored 248 runs in the four-match ODI series against England last September and followed that up with 448 runs during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy under challenging conditions. Head in recent years has emerged as the go-to batter for Australia when the going gets tougher, and thus, it imperative opposition bowlers get him out early before he takes the game away from them. 

Saim Ayub

The 22-year-old left-hander from Karachi is new to the international stage but has cemented his place as one to watch out for in the years to come. More importantly, although having played just nine ODIs for the Pakistan senior team, all his runs have come away from home. 

He scored 125 runs in the three-match ODI series against Australia, including a match-winning 82(71). He followed that up with 155 runs against Zimbabwe, scoring his maiden ODI ton in the second ODI. In their recent tour of South Africa, where Pakistan won the ODI series 3-0, Ayub was again in the thick of the action, scoring two hundreds and cementing his place as one of the two openers alongside Abdullah Shafique. 

Rohit Sharma

The #2 ranked ODI batter in the world and skipper of the Indian cricket team, Rohit Sharma has been struggling for form since India’s tour of Sri Lanka in July 2024. Elegant yet ruthless with the bat when on song. Sharma scored 157 runs in his last ODI series against Sri Lanka, scoring at a strike-rate of 141.4. However, his failures against New Zealand and Australia in red ball cricket has cast some doubts over his pedigree as a batter. 

Although his approach hasn’t changed since the 2023 ODI World Cup, where he scored 597 runs at a strike-rate of 125, where his primary objective was to give a solid platform to the middle-order batters. His recent drop in form means runs might not be that easy to come by for the 37-year-old Mumbaikar. However, since the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, his form in ODI ICC tournaments has been impeccable irrespective of his form before the tournament. Thus, given that this could be his last ICC tournament, Rohit Sharma could be the difference in India winning another ICC trophy. 

Ryan Rickelton

Predominantly a red-ball cricketer who has found his place in the white-ball formats with his impressive stroke-play, Ryan Rickelton will be one to watch out for when South Africa land in Pakistan. Averaging 50+ and 45+ across both his first class and List A careers, the 28-year-old has recently made the jump to international cricket. 

In his last two series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, Rickelton has scored two hundreds, including a career best 259 against Pakistan in the 2nd Test. In the ongoing SA20 League, the left hander has scored two fifties in four innings and is scoring at a strike-rate of 183.5. With his ability to both see off deliveries and take bowlers on whenever he wants, he’ll be a huge asset in a team filled with T20 stars.