Listen to articleThe Australian cricket team arrived in Lahore on Monday to participate in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.The tournament is set to begin on February 19 with Australia’s first match scheduled for February 22 against their arch-rivals, England at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium.The team landed in two separate groups. The first group, which included team captain Steve Smith, coaches, and support staff, arrived from Colombo via Dubai. The second group, comprising 15 players and two additional members of the support staff, followed the same route and reached Lahore later the same day.Notable players who arrived in Lahore include Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Travis Head, Matthew Short, and Adam Zampa. The Australian team opted out of participating in warm-up matches, as they had recently been involved in a two-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, which they lost 2-0.Australia's first match in the Champions Trophy will be against England on February 22 at Gaddafi Stadium. Their second match will be against South Africa on February 25 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, followed by a final group-stage encounter against Afghanistan on February 28, again at Gaddafi Stadium.Australia’s Champions Trophy squad for 2025 includes Steve Smith (captain), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, and Adam Zampa. Cooper Connolly is the travelling reserve.Meanwhile, the excitement surrounding the highly anticipated India-Pakistan clash in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has reached new heights, with tickets for the February 23 match in Dubai selling out within record time. The initial batch of tickets was snapped up within just one hour of release, driven by a massive demand from cricket fans across the globe.In response to the overwhelming interest, the International Cricket Council (ICC) quickly announced the release of additional tickets. However, these tickets also sold out within 90 minutes, with fans rushing to secure their seats for the historic encounter.According to reports, between 20,000 to 30,000 fans competed online for a chance to attend the match, making it one of the most sought-after events of the tournament.Champions Trophy 2025 scheduleFeb 19, WedPakistan vs New Zealand, 1st Match, Group A- National Stadium, KarachiFeb 20, ThuBangladesh vs India, 2nd Match, Group A- Dubai International Cricket Stadium, DubaiFeb 21, FriAfghanistan vs South Africa, 3rd Match, Group B- National Stadium, KarachiFeb 22, SatAustralia vs England, 4th Match, Group B- Gaddafi Stadium, LahoreFeb 23, SunPakistan vs India, 5th Match, Group A- Dubai International Cricket Stadium, DubaiFeb 24, MonBangladesh vs New Zealand, 6th Match, Group A- Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, RawalpindiFeb 25, TueAustralia vs South Africa, 7th Match, Group B- Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, RawalpindiFeb 26, WedAfghanistan vs England, 8th Match, Group B- Gaddafi Stadium, LahoreFeb 27, ThuPakistan vs Bangladesh, 9th Match, Group A- Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, RawalpindiFeb 28, FriAfghanistan vs Australia, 10th Match, Group B- Gaddafi Stadium, LahoreMar 01, SatSouth Africa vs England, 11th Match, Group B- National Stadium, KarachiMar 02, SunNew Zealand vs India, 12th Match, Group A- Dubai International Cricket Stadium, DubaiMar 04, Tue1st Semi-Final (A1 v B2)- Dubai International Cricket Stadium, DubaiMar 05, Wed2nd Semi-Final (B1 v A2)- Gaddafi Stadium, LahoreMar 09, SunFinal
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