Morgan, Watson pick India as favourite for CT 2025, but hope their teams can go all the way

Navi Mumbai: Their respective teams may not have ideal buildup to the Champions Trophy 2025 but Eoin Morgan and Shane Watson are hopeful that England and Australia would do well in the event while picking India as the top favourite.

England, under a new coach in Brandon McCullum, were hammered by India in both the T20I and ODI series while Australia have been besieged by injuries losing four top players -- Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh and Mitchell Starc -- to injuries while Marcus Stoinis has announced a sudden retirement from the national team.

Australia also lost 0-2 to Sri Lanka in the ODI series preceding the Champions Trophy.

Despite this, Morgan and Watson rooted for their respective national teams while picking India as the absolute favourite and listing Pakistan as the dark horse in the eight-team tournament that started on Wednesday with a clash between Pakistan and New Zealand in Karachi.

Morgan, who led England to their greatest performance in One-day cricket, the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup title, listed India as the top favourite considering their recent dominant run in the 2023 ODI World Cup at home where they reached the final unbeaten and triumphed in the T20 World Cup in Caribbean and USA.

"The side that's the frontrunner, best positioned across the squads I would say in India, out and out favourites, I can't really pick any holes in their side. And I know that's been the case the last couple of tournaments they've gone into," said Morgan.

India and Pakistan along with Bangladesh and New Zealand are in Group A while Group B has Australia, England, South Africa and Afghanistan. IANS

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