IPL jerseys have gone for laundry service and it’s time for the players to put on their nation’s colour. 6th of June is when the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 commences in immensely cold conditions of England and Wales which is going to be in stark contrast to hot and humid Indian weather that some of the players witnessed during the IPL 6.
Champions Trophy the name that this tournament got in 2002, is probably the most popular and reputed ODI tournament in the world, only next to the ICC World Cup. It started as ICC Knock-Out Tournament in 1998 and had always drawn huge interest and audience. This time around, because of the fact that it’s going to be last edition of the tournament there is huge excitement around it and the teams are absolutely keen to do well and end on a high.
This 2013 edition has Australia, England, Sri Lanka and New Zealand placed in Group A, while in Group B, India, Pakistan, South Africa and West Indies would fight it out against each other during the round-robin stage. Every one of these teams is capable of winning the title, but given the conditions, teams which have bowlers who can bowl fast and swing it, and have batsmen who can counter swing are more likely to make an impact. Due to home advantage, England are slight favorites but we just cannot rule out anyone. India has a super strong batting order as always, Australians are ready with their game plan and strategies all the time, West Indies have some big match winners and Pakistan are unpredictable as ever. And so, the thrilling contests are guaranteed.
All the matches of the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 will be played at three venues – Sophia Gardens (Cardiff), Edgbaston (Birmingham) and Kennington Oval (London), with the final to take place in Edgbaston on the June 23rd.
We at Cricket Exclusive will keep sharing all the updates relating to results, standings and match analysis, all through this three-week tournament. So stay tuned and enjoy!
Photo Credit: Wikipedia