Last Updated on 2 months by Charbel Coorey

It’s time for the biggest rivalry in cricket and arguably in all sports – India vs Pakistan – as they take each other on in the 5th match of the 2025 Champions Trophy (CT).

India defeated Bangladesh comprehensively at the end by six wickets in their first game. Shubman Gill (101* runs), Rohit Sharma (41 runs) and KL Rahul (41* runs) did a good job with the bat after India restricted Bangladesh to 228 runs. Mohammed Shami was the star with the ball as he picked up five wickets. Harshit Rana (3 wickets) and Axar Patel (2 wickets) also chipped in.

Virat Kohli’s form will be a concern for India but they’ll be pretty confident coming into this game. Their batters are in top form and the bowlers are performing consistently. Overall, they are looking pretty solid as a team.

On the other hand, Pakistan lost their first game of the tournament by 60 runs. After that, they have now lost Fakhar Zaman which is a body blow for the hosts. Babar Azam got a lot of heat for his slow knock. Other batters like Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel and Tayyab Tahir must take responsibility if Pakistan is to win this game.

Pakistan lacks batting depth and the likes of Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf have been hot and cold as a pace unit in recent weeks. They will have to perform as a team to give themselves a chance to compete against the Indian team. Skipper Rizwan will have to lead from the front as a loss in this game will almost be the end of their campaign.

CT 2025 5th Match: IND vs PAK Probable Playing XIs

No changes are expected in the Indian side for this high-profile clash.

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

Imam-ul-Haq has replaced Fakhar Zaman in the squad for Pakistan. One or two changes are also expected for Pakistan in this game.

Pakistan: 1. Babar Azam, 2. Imam-ul-Haq, 3. Saud Shakeel/Kamran Ghulam, 4. Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk), 5. Salman Agha, 6. Tayyab Tahir/Faheem Ashraf, 7. Khushdil Shah, 8. Shaheen Afridi, 9. Naseem Shah, 10. Haris Rauf, 11. Abrar Ahmed

Dubai International Cricket Stadium Pitch Report and Weather

This will be the second game of the tournament at this venue. The first game between India and Bangladesh had good aid for the spinners. There was turn and grip on offer for them. There wasn’t any dew in the second innings but batting looked a bit easier in the latter half.

Overall, the spinners will be into the game and the batters, once set, will be in for a big score. But, the likes of Mohammed Shami, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah are expected to extract some swing with the new ball.

A bright sunny day is on the forecast, with the highest temperature being 27 degrees Celsius. Humidity will be around 40-50% during the game.

Fantasy Cricket Tips for IND vs PAK: Players to Watch/Key Stats

Note: Try to pick more batters and all-rounders if you are playing on Dream11. The new point system rewards the batters heavily.

Top Wicket-Keeper Picks:

• KL Rahul looked good in the first game with the bat. He scored 41* runs and will be a key batter for India in the middle-order. He has 187 runs in three ODIs against Pakistan at an average of 187 with a hundred and a fifty to his name.
• Mohammad Rizwan has 51 runs in two ODIs against India with the highest score of 49. He will be a key batter for his team and will be a valuable pick in fantasy cricket for this game. Rizwan is the third-highest run-scorer for his side in ODIs since 2024: 438 runs in 11 innings at an average of 54.75 with two fifties and a century.

Key batter picks:

• Rohit Sharma looked in good touch in the first game where he scored crucial 41 runs. He has scored 873 runs in 19 innings against Pakistan at an average of 51.40 with eight fifties and two centuries to his name. Rohit will be a key batter for his team in this game and a top fantasy pick.
• Shubman Gill has been in sublime form lately. He is India’s highest run-scorer in ODIs since 2024 with 417 runs in seven innings including two fifties and two centuries. Gill averages 69.50 during this time. He scored a match-winning hundred in the last match.
• Virat Kohli is going through a lean patch with the bat but he loves playing against Pakistan. Virat has 678 runs in 16 innings and averages 52.20 against them in ODIs. He has scored three hundreds and a couple of fifties as well.

Top all-rounder picks:

• Axar Patel picked up two wickets in the last game and he’s been constantly batting at number five in the last few matches. He will be a must in your fantasy team considering his dual value with both bat and ball. 
• Ravindra Jadeja is another key fantasy pick for this game. Jadeja was in good form in the recent series against England and he can trouble Pakistan’s struggling middle-order, not to mention his capability with the bat.
• Salman Agha has been one of the best batters for Pakistan in 50-over cricket in the last few months. He has 470 runs in 10 ODIs since 2024 at an average of 52.22 with a fifty and a hundred. Agha is the second-highest run-scorer for his team in ODIs since 2024.

Key bowler picks:

• Mohammed Shami picked up five wickets in the first game against Bangladesh. He looked in good rhythm and will lead India’s pace attack. Shami has picked up five wickets in three ODIs against Pakistan. He will be a top fantasy pick for this game.
• Shaheen Afridi has seven wickets in three ODIs against India. His current form is not that great but he can trouble the Indian top order when on song. Shaheen is handy with the bat as well.

Other Players to Consider for your Fantasy Cricket Team

• Shreyas Iyer has been a consistent performer at number four for Team India. He had a stellar World Cup back in 2023 and was in good form in the last year as well. You can try him as C/VC if India’s batting first.
• Babar Azam has only one fifty against India in 7 ODIs. He did score 64 in the last game but it took him 90 deliveries and the Indian spinners can get him cheaply. Despite that, he will be a good pick in fantasy cricket. Babar has 218 runs in seven innings against India at an average of 31.10 including a fifty.

Other Matchups and Facts

• Virat Kohli needs 15 runs to complete 14,000 runs in ODI cricket.
• Shaheen Afridi has dismissed Shubman Gill twice in 28 deliveries for 29 runs in ODIs.
• Kuldeep Yadav has dismissed Babar Azam twice for just 28 runs in 52 deliveries in ODIs.

CT 2025 5th Match: IND vs PAK 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 5th Match: IND vs PAK Match Prediction: Who will win?

India will start as the clear favourite to win this match. They have excellent depth in their squad, especially with the bat and Pakistan will miss Fakhar Zaman in this match. India to win this game comfortably.

Written by Robin Rounder. Follow Robin on X @robin_rounder