India's White-Ball Team Poised for Champions Trophy Success, Says Irfan Pathan

India's White-Ball Team Poised for Champions Trophy Success, Says Irfan Pathan

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes the current white-ball team is well-positioned to win the upcoming Champions Trophy, scheduled to begin in February. He highlighted the team's stability and the addition of promising young players like Nitish Kumar Reddy as key strengths.

"Team India can because if you look at the white-ball team, it is pretty much settled," Pathan said in a video posted by Star Sports. "To add to that, there are a couple of young gun players, that can be added as well. One of them is Nitish Kumar Reddy. That will only make the team stronger. Plenty of options. Bowling will be very crucial. The hopes are very high."

The Champions Trophy, returning after a seven-year hiatus, presents India with an opportunity to add another ICC title to its collection, especially following the T20 World Cup victory in Barbados. In the previous edition, India reached the final but suffered a heavy defeat to Pakistan. This time, the team aims to go all the way and lift the trophy on home soil.

The tournament will feature eight teams competing in 15 matches across Pakistan and Dubai. India and Pakistan, the finalists of the previous edition, are scheduled to face each other on February 23 in Dubai. The final will be held in Lahore on March 9, unless India qualifies, in which case the final will be played in Dubai. Both the semi-finals and the final will have reserve days.