Last Updated on 2 months by Charbel Coorey

Buckle your seatbelts, the 1st Semi Final of the 2025 Champions Trophy (CT) is here. India and Australia go head-to-head in another chapter of what is an incredible rivalry, and a CT Final is up for grabs.

The bookmakers have India as hot favourites. Rightly so. Their batting has the depth, with Ravindra Jadeja batting at eight. Even as the top three failed against New Zealand, Shreyas Iyer and Hardik Pandya led the way to get India to a defendable total.

From there, it was India’s spinners who took over, and that is set to be the template once again. Varun Chakravarthy made an immediate impact, spinning the ball both ways with immaculate control. Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav make up a formidable four-pronged attack. If Australia are to win this, they will have to bat out of their skin.

The spotlight is on Travis Head. It makes sense as he has caused nightmare after nightmare for India over the past 18 months. However, Steve Smith, along with Josh Inglis and Alex Carey, are also crucial to Australia’s chances given their ability to play spin. And, of course, whether Australia have the depth and quality in their attack to restrict India is a big question.

This game matters so much for India in particular given what happened in the 2023 World Cup Final on home soil. In this article, we will look at the possible playing XIs, Dubai pitch report, fantasy cricket tips and Dream11 Prediction for the 1st Semi Final of CT 2025.

CT 2025 1st Semi Final: IND vs AUS Possible Playing XIs

India played four spinners against New Zealand and are likely to do so again.

India: 1. Rohit Sharma (c), 2. Shubman Gill, 3. Virat Kohli, 4. Shreyas Iyer, 5. Axar Patel, 6. KL Rahul (wk), 7. Hardik Pandya, 8. Ravindra Jadeja, 9. Mohammed Shami, 10. Kuldeep Yadav/Harshit Rana, 11. Varun Chakravarthy

Australia have more questions to answer. With Matt Short out injured, who opens? There is speculation Jake Fraser-McGurk will come in to ensure Australia keep their important middle order intact. Also, Tanveer Sangha is a chance of playing given conditions in Dubai.

Australia: 1. Travis Head, 2. Jake Fraser-McGurk, 3. Steve Smith (c), 4. Marnus Labuschagne, 5. Josh Inglis (wk), 6. Alex Carey, 7. Glenn Maxwell, 8. Ben Dwarshuis, 9. Nathan Ellis, 10. Adam Zampa, 11. Spencer Johnson/Tanveer Sangha

Dubai International Stadium Pitch Report and Weather

Spin to win. Scores have been on the lower end compared to modern ODI standards. India’s 249/9 was enough against New Zealand with their spinners taking nine of the ten wickets to fall.

There is a case to either bat or bowl first. Expect the surface to take more turn as the day goes on, but scoring could be difficult under the Dubai sun. A warm and mostly clear day is forecast with a top of 29 degrees.

Fantasy Cricket Tips for IND vs AUS: Top Picks/Key Stats

Top wicket-keeper picks:

• Josh Inglis is a good player of spin and should get a decent opportunity to bat. His last innings was a superb 120* (86) against England at Lahore. The India-in-Dubai challenge will be tougher, but Inglis has the game to score.

Key batter picks:

• Virat Kohli loves batting against Australia. He has struck 2,367 runs at 53.79, including 264 runs against Adam Zampa at an average of 52.8 and strike rate of 107.8.
• Shubman Gill missed out against New Zealand but he still remains in fine touch. Before his score of 2 against NZ, Gill had scored 87, 60, 112, 101* and 46 in his previous five ODIs.
• Shreyas Iyer has been magnificent at number four. Including his crucial 79 against New Zealand, Iyer has scored 1,215 ODI runs at an average of 48.6 and strike rate of 108.5 since the start of 2023.
• Travis Head is always a strong Dream11 pick. While there is a chance the slow Dubai track could limit Head’s impact, there is the possibility he will bowl some overs as well given the make up of the Australian attack. Since the start of 2022, Head has scored 1,455 ODI runs at an average of 58.2 and strike rate of 122.2.

Top all-rounder picks:

• Axar Patel showed his worth when it comes to Dream11 in the New Zealand game, scoring 117 points. He bats at five and is a key bowler on a Dubai surface offering assistance. Must pick.
• Glenn Maxwell is expected to play a very important role with the ball in this game. A pitch offering spin and Maxwell’s batting ability makes him a must-pick as well. The Big Show strikes at 134.13 in ODIs against India (943 runs, avg. 34.92), including 154 off 131 against Jadeja (two dismissals) and 99 off 69 against Kuldeep (three dismissals).

Key bowler picks:

• Varun Chakravarthy simply cannot be left out of your Dream11 teams. He put on a masterclass against New Zealand (5/42) and has been in magnificent form in white-ball cricket this year. On a pitch offering spin, he has so much wicket-taking potential.
• Kuldeep Yadav has taken five wickets in the past two matches in this Champions Trophy. He will also be a challenge to handle on this surface.
• Adam Zampa is vital to Australia’s hopes. He strikes every 35 deliveries on average against India and has taken 88 wickets in 46 innings in ODIs since the start of 2022 (avg. 24.6).

Other Players to Consider for Your Fantasy Cricket Teams

• Steve Smith is a key player for Australia given his ability to play spin. In ODIs, Smith has struck 1,310 runs against India at an average of 52.40 and strike rate of 100.46. This includes six fifties and five hundreds.
• Rohit Sharma has looked good at the top, but hasn’t quite gone on to make a big score in this tournament. Can he go on to make a substantial score? He averages 58.02 in 45 ODIs against Australia (2,379 runs).
• Hardik Pandya can be a handy pick if India bats first. Spin is more important which may limit Hardik’s bowling.
• Marnus Labuschagne could be called on to bowl. Also, he has four half-centuries in 12 innings against India in ODIs.

Other Stats and Key Matchups

• Steve Smith vs Ravindra Jadeja in ODIs: 188 balls, 222 runs, two dismissals, SR 118.1.
• Steve Smith vs Kuldeep Yadav in ODIs: 145 balls, 126 runs, two dismissals, SR 86.9.
• Adam Zampa has dismissed Rohit Sharma four times in ODIs at an average of 31.8. Rohit strikes at 99.2 against him (127 runs off 128 balls).
• Adam Zampa has also dismissed Shreyas Iyer twice in 64 balls (56 runs) and Shubman Gill twice in 47 balls (37 runs).
• Ravindra Jadeja averages 53.64 with the ball in 41 innings against Australia in ODIs.
• Varun Chakravarthy has dismissed Glenn Maxwell three times in 30 balls in the IPL (46 runs). Can he transfer this to the ODI format?

CT 2025 1st Semi Final: IND vs AUS Dream11 Prediction

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article, as well as your own instincts, to create your teams.

Option 1:

Option 2:

CT 2025 1st Semi Final: IND vs AUS Match Prediction – Who will win?

Can Australia challenge India? Possibly. But, India have too much depth and experience, especially with their spinners in these Dubai conditions. India to win.