Predicting the 4 semi-finalists of the Champions Trophy

#2 England

The hosts of the Champions Trophy have been hailed as the premier favorites to lift the trophy given the kind of form they have shown in the 50-over format. The inventors of the game haven’t managed to win any ICC event so far in the format and this could be their best chance to grab one. They made it to the finals on both times they hosted the tournament but lost closely on both occasions. There is no denying the fact that the home advantage is the biggest advantage in cricket.

Their revival in ODI cricket happened after Eoin Morgan began to lead the side. The mindset of the whole batting unit changed. Now they are filled with a number of hard-hitting batsmen in the line-up. Jason Roy and Alex Hales can tear apart bowling line-ups from the outset. Joe Root and Morgan will be extremely crucial in the middle-order. Then Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali can provide the finishing touch with the power-packed hitting.

The X-factor in the team would be Ben Stokes. He is a genuine athlete having supreme expertise in all three departments of the game. Their pace battery consists of Chris Woakes, Liam Plunkett and Mark Wood who have shown great form recently. The leggie Adil Rashid has been a part of their unit for quite some time. Not just that, they possess tremendous bench strength as well. Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Sam Billings and David Willey are capable of filling in at any point of time.