Predicting the 4 semi-finalists of the Champions Trophy

The prestigious 50-over tournament – ICC Champions Trophy is set to commence in a few days time. This will be the 8th edition and England is set to host it for the second time in a row. Just like the last edition, it will feature the top 8 sides in the world divided into 2 groups. Australia, England, Bangladesh and New Zealand are part of the Group A whereas India, South Africa, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are placed in the Group B.

It promises to be a cracker of a tournament as all the sides all well-balanced. There is very little to choose when it comes to picking the top 4 sides amongst them. After analyzing the squads and the current form of the players, we have come up with a prediction for the teams that are favorites to make it to the semi-finals.

Here’s is CricTracker’s prediction for the final four teams:

#1 Australia

The two-time winners of the Champions Trophy would enter the tournament once again as one of the favorites. They might not have had the best of times in Test cricket recently but they are a formidable side in colored clothing. In any ICC tournament, they are the team to beat. The Aussies are also the World Champions in 50-over format and would certainly gain confidence from that. They are very familiar with the conditions that the English grounds will offer.

The batting line-up looks daunting as David Warner and Aaron Finch will open the innings which is perhaps the most explosive combination at the top. The skipper Steven Smith will be the backbone of the batting and he has been in a tremendous form of late. Then they have plenty of others to choose from. Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade and Moises Henriques, all are capable of taking the game away from the opposition.

The Kangaroos also possess one of the best bowling line-ups in the tournament. Mitchell Starc skipped the IPL to prepare for the Champions Trophy and is fit and raring to go. Josh Hazlewood is ever so reliable with consistency. Then they have Pat Cummins and James Pattinson who can ruffle the feathers of the opposition batting. Adam Zampa is the lone regular spinner in the squad who will come in handy with the leg-spinners. Overall, they have a pretty balanced side and it won’t be surprising to see them even winning the third title.