Champions Trophy 2025: Aakash Chopra predicts Pakistan's playing XI, omits Babar Azam as an opener

Former India opener Aakash Chopra has picked Pakistan's probable playing XI for the upcoming edition of the Champions Trophy. Instead of Babar Azam, Chopra picked Saud Shakeel to open with Fakhar Zaman. Babar opened for Pakistan in the recently-concluded tri-nation series against South Africa and New Zealand but scored just 62 runs from three innings at an average of 20.67.

Pakistan have been on the lookout for Fakhar's opening partner after Saim Ayub was ruled out of the Champions Trophy 2025 with an injury. Pakistan's head coach Aqib Javed has backed Babar to open the innings in the marquee event despite his lacklustre performance in the tri-series. However, Chopra suggested a different approach with Shakeel batting at the top of the order. Besides, Chopra also felt that there would be an additional spotlight on three players - Shakeel, Khushdil Shah, and Abrar Ahmed.

"What will their predicted XI be like? I am thinking of Saud Shakeel with Fakhar Zaman as Saim Ayub is not there now. Babar Azam at No. 3, Mohammad Rizwan at No. 4, and then Salman Agha, Khushdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf and Abrar Ahmed," Chopra said in a video on his YouTube channel.

"There will be a little extra focus on three players - Saud Shakeel because we will properly see him playing for the first time, Khushdil Shah because he is a proven all-rounder in T20s, he has a golden arm as well, but can he do that job in ODIs, and Abrar Ahmed as he is slightly underrated and not many people have seen him or played against him," he observed.

Notably, Pakistan are placed in Group A along with India, New Zealand, and Bangladesh. Chopra backed the Green Shirts to reach the semi-finals but said that they will have to beat either India or New Zealand as Bangladesh might end up winless in the group.

They will want to revolve their entire batting around Babar and Rizwan: Chopra

Aakash Chopra reckons that Pakistan will fill their team with a lot of all-rounders, while the responsibility of scoring the bulk of the runs would rest on Babar and Mohammad Rizwan. The cricketer-turned-commentator said that there is a strong connection between Babar scoring runs and Pakistan emerging victorious.

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"When you look at their team, it seems like they are searching for options. They want batting till No. 8 or No. 9 and a few spin-bowling all-rounders, with Faheem Ashraf also doing both jobs. They will want to revolve their entire batting around Babar and Rizwan. I am extremely interested to see how Saud Shakeel plays because he will get a place in the top three this time," he said.

"They are still reliant a lot on Babar Azam - 6000 ODI runs and the speed at which he has reached this far. Babar Azam's performances and Pakistan's wins are close-knitted to each other. He and Mohammad Rizwan are their batting mainstays," Chopra concluded.