Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis say Team India is only 'complete team' in Champions Trophy semis: 'No praise is enough'

Pakistan cricket legends Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis do not doubt that the Indian cricket team is the best among the four teams that have qualified for the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy 2025 . The great praise for the Rohit Sharma-led Team India from across the border came after the Men in Blue decimated New Zealand in their last Group A match on Sunday in the Champions Trophy 2025.

India defeated New Zealand by 44 runs in Dubai to finish on the top of their group and set up a semi-final against Australia . The semi-final will be played on 4 March at the same venue.

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New Zealand was the most in-form team that India had faced so far in the tournament, but the spin-quartet of Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja made the job a lot easier for the Indian team. They bowled 37.3 overs together and accounted for nine wickets, including a five-for for Varun Chakravarthy .

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Earlier, Shreyas Iyer played a gutsy knock of 79 to help India post 249/9, batting first, after they were reduced to 30/3. Iyer was ably assisted by Axar, Jadeja and Hardik Pandya, who also made valuable contributions from the bat.

Wasim Akram says no praise is enough for Team India

Legendary former pacer Wasim Akram recalled India’s recent dazzling record in ICC ODI tournaments and said that the Indian side has unmatched depth and confidence.

“Doesn’t matter how much you praise Team India, it will be less,” Wasim Akram said on the DP World Dressing Room show. “They won six out of their last six ODIs, including a three-match series against England. If you look at their recent ICC record, they have lost just one out of 14 ODIs, that one (2023 ODI World Cup) final against Australia.

“That shows the depth and confidence in the team and themselves. They read the wicket well, played four spinners. Many people said four spinners should not have been there, but there was no need.”

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Wasim Akram also underlined the spin supremacy of Team India and the advantage it gives to them in the knockout stage of the Champions Trophy 2025, considering their semi-final is in Dubai and also the final if they qualify.

“We could understand with great difficulty,” Akram said while talking about Varun Chakravarthy’s mystery spin bowling. “New Zealand batters could not understand anything… against such a spinner you can only read through his hands, if you can’t then you will be forced to keep guessing.”

“Their spinners bowled 37 overs, took nine wickets and has an economy of 4.42. I don’t think you can chase 250 against them… Almost 40 overs by spinners.”

‘India is the only complete team’

Waqar Younis said India are the only “complete” team among the four semi-finalists, which also includes Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.

“If we see at all four semi-finalists, the complete team is only India,” Waqar Younis said on DP World Dressing Room show. “All bases are covered for them. Spinners, pacer, maybe there’s some chink, but their batting, on this pitch although they lost three wickets and then to build a partnership and then Jadeja and Pandya chipping in with contribution from lower-order and score 250 on this pitch. Probably if it was some other team and the way New Zealand bowled, it would have been tough to score 250.”

While India have played well in the Champions Trophy 2025, their aim must be to win the trophy. The last time India won an ICC ODI tournament was in 2013.