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Following their triumph in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 last month, Team India is now gearing up for the highly anticipated Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled for February-March next year.

This upcoming edition marks the first since 2017, where India faced a disappointing loss to Pakistan in the final. Determined to rectify their previous performance, the Men in Blue are eager to clinch their first Champions Trophy title since 2013 and are considered strong contenders for the upcoming tournament.

Despite their favoritism, concerns linger regarding India’s limited ODI match practice ahead of the competition. With only six ODIs scheduled before the Champions Trophy, including three matches next month under Rohit Sharma’s leadership and three more against England next year, there are worries about adequate preparation.

Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik has echoed these sentiments, acknowledging India’s preference for more ODI exposure. Nonetheless, he expressed confidence in the team’s cohesion and ability to excel when it matters most in the tournament.

“A little bit, yes. Ideally, they would like to play more. But India is such a well-oiled unit and the confidence after winning the T20 World Cup is going to be really high,” said Dinesh Karthik on Cricbuzz while responding to a fan’s question.

India is going to be very hard to stop from here on: Dinesh Karthik

Expanding on his thoughts, Dinesh Karthik emphasized the daunting challenge that other teams could face in halting India’s momentum in multi-nation events following their recent triumph in the T20 World Cup. The victory not only marked the end of India’s 11-year drought for an ICC trophy but also sparked expectations of a potential era of dominance for the Men in Blue in ICC tournaments.

“I can tell you something, India is going to be very hard to stop from here on in multi-nation events. That World Cup is going to be the start of something very, very special in Indian cricket,” said Dinesh Karthik.