DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — On Sunday, Pakistan’s cricket captain, Mohammad Rizwan, won the toss and made the decision to bat first in their Group A match against arch-rivals India during the 2025 Champions Trophy.

The highly anticipated clash is taking place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, even though the tournament is officially hosted by Pakistan. India has opted to play its league matches and potential knockout games in the United Arab Emirates due to security concerns that have been hinted at by some Indian cricket officials, although no formal statement has been made regarding their refusal to play in Pakistan.

Previously, Pakistan faced a tough start at home, suffering a loss to New Zealand by 60 runs in their opening match. Today’s game against India is critical, as a defeat would eliminate their chances of progressing further in the tournament.

India, on the other hand, began their campaign with a six-wicket victory over Bangladesh in Dubai. They will be looking to maintain their winning form, as an additional win would secure their place in the semi-finals.

The last meeting between these two teams in the Champions Trophy was back in 2017, when Pakistan triumphed over India with an impressive 180-run victory in the final held in London.

In terms of player changes, Pakistan is experiencing a setback with the loss of Fakhar Zaman to an injury from the opening match. Imam-ul-Haq has stepped in to replace him in the playing eleven. On the contrary, India has opted to maintain the same lineup as their previous match, keeping continuity in their squad.

As for the pitch conditions at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, it is anticipated to present a slow, dual-paced surface that could favor both pace and spin bowlers as the match unfolds. There is also the possibility that evening dew may assist the team batting second during the chase.

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**Line-ups:**

**India:** Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, Lokesh Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav

**Pakistan:** Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

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