ICC Champions Trophy 2025:  Five Bowlers To Watch Out For

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

Also Read: Can India win the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy? 

Shaheen Afridi

The tall and fast left-arm seamer from Pakistan has been a revelation since making his senior debut for Pakistan in 2018. There are very few left-arm seamers in world cricket who’ve been as consistent and threatening as the 24-year-old. Shaheen currently has 119 wickets in just 59 matches, averaging 23.14 and has a strike-rate of 25.26, which is one of the best in the modern era. 

Moreover, his form and performances since the 2023 ODI World Cup in white ball cricket has been exceptional. He picked up 18 wickets in nine matches at the World Cup. Since then, he has picked up 15 wickets in six matches against Australia and South Africa, while in T20Is, he has 27 wickets in 18 matches. With the pitches in Pakistan traditionally favouring fast bowlers, there’s every chance Shaheen ends the tournament as one of the leading wicket-takers. 

Lockie Ferguson

A genuine fast bowler who hits the deck hard and is a nightmare for opposition batters, New Zealand’s Lockie Ferguson has all the ingredients in place for an outstanding Champions Trophy 2025. With his searing pace and ability to bowl change-up deliveries, batters find it tough to put him away. His ability to bowl back of a length deliveries and hurry batters will be crucial in seamer friendly conditions during the Champions Trophy. 

Moreover, looking at it statistically, he is more of a menace to sub-continent teams with batters unable to navigate his rising deliveries. With New Zealand placed alongside India, Pakistan and Bangladesh in Group A, he’ll be licking his lips. Especially taking it into consideration that the 33-year-old seamer has been in the UAE over the last month or so playing in the ILT20 League. 

Kagiso Rabada

One of the best fast bowlers of his generation and the leader of the South African attack, Kagiso Rabada will be key if South Africa are to make any in-roads in the Champions Trophy. Having become more of a death overs specialist in recent years with the demands of T20 cricket, he has somewhat lost his touch as a new-ball bowler. 

Still a regular in the Test set-up, his consistency and ability to bowl in one channel will make it hard for batters to go after him. In the recent ODI series against Pakistan at home, Rabada looked in great form, picking up wickets both with the new ball and during the death overs. He picked up five wickets in the two matches he played in, at a respectable economy rate of 5.2. Given that the pitches in Pakistan will provide for purchase and carry for seamers, he’ll become more effective with his tail up. 

Mohammad Shami

Having been on the periphery of the Indian national team for much of his career, Mohammad Shami’s Indian career has been hampered by injuries. Despite all that, he has emerged in recent times as one of India’s most lethal bowlers alongside Jasprit Bumrah. In just 101 matches, Shami has 195 wickets in ODI cricket, averaging 23.68 and has a strike-rate of 25.56, one of the best in the modern era. 

Despite India’s heart-breaking loss in the final, Shami ended the tournament as the highest wicket taker, picking up 24 wickets in just seven games. With an ankle injury ruling him out of international cricket for more than a year, the 34-year-old seamer has played different domestic tournaments in the lead up to Champions Trophy 2025. With Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh alongside him, Shami will have plenty of assistance, however, if he can regain his form from 2023, there’s no better pace attack in cricket right now than the trio of Bumrah, Shami and Arshdeep. 

Allah Ghazanfar

The only spinner in the list and for good reason. Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar has been a revelation since bursting onto the scene during the under 19 World Cup in South Africa last year. The right-arm offbreak mystery bowler has been really difficult to go after and his variations mean batters often go out playing the false shot. 

In his 11-match long ODI career, Ghazanfar has already picked up 21 wickets, including two 5-fers, as well as going for just 4.05 runs per over. Given that Afghanistan have been drawn alongside Australia, England and South Africa, the young 18-year-old will be one to look out for throughout the league stages. 

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