Champions Trophy 2025: Key players who will miss the tournament
What's the story
The Champions Trophy 2025 will be affected by a string of player absences.
Several key cricketers from different teams have been ruled out due to injuries and personal reasons.
Afghanistan's AM Ghazanfar won't play due to a fractured vertebra, which he sustained during their tour of Zimbabwe.
Australia are in dire straits with their entire first-choice pace attack, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, out with ongoing injuries.
Here's a look at players who will miss the tournament.
AUS
Australia's Mitchell Starc is the latest addition to absentee list
Australia's Mitchell Starc pulled out of the Champions Trophy for personal reasons.
Another key player for Australia, Marcus Stoinis, announced his retirement from ODIs on February 6 after being named in the provisional squad.
Further, Mitchell Marsh is battling a back injury and is unlikely to play again this season.
Cummins and Hazlewood have also been ruled out with injuries.
These absences are expected to take a toll on Australia's performance in the upcoming tournament.
Injury setbacks
England's Jacob Bethell and India's Jasprit Bumrah are out
England's Jacob Bethell was ruled out after suffering a hamstring injury during their ongoing white-ball tour of India.
England have confirmed Tom Banton will replace the injured Bethell.
Meanwhile, India's Jasprit Bumrah is nursing a back issue that he picked up in the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in January.
Additionally, India added pacer Harshit Rana as Bumrah's replacement. Rana made his ODI debut in the ongoing series against England.
Fitness concerns
New Zealand and Pakistan's injury concerns ahead of Champions Trophy
New Zealand are facing two injury concerns.
Lockie Ferguson hurt his hamstring at the ILT20 in early February, while Rachin Ravindra was hit on the forehead while fielding against Pakistan on February 8.
His fitness status remains uncertain for the tri-series final on Friday and beyond.
Meanwhile, Pakistan are monitoring Haris Rauf's fitness after he suffered a "low-grade side strain" 11 days before the Champions Trophy is set to kick off.
Earlier, Saim Ayub was ruled out with an injury.
Squad changes
South Africa's Anrich Nortje and Gerald Coetzee ruled out
South Africa's Anrich Nortje, who hasn't played a single competitive cricket since December 2024, was ruled out due to back trouble.
Fellow Gerald Coetzee, who had earlier replaced Nortje in SA's squad was also ruled out with a groin injury.
Corbin Bosch was added to the squad thereafter.
Squads
Australia and England's revamped squads
Australia: Steve Smith (c), 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, Adam Zampa.
Travelling reserve: Cooper Connolly.
England: Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood.
Squads
India and Pakistan's squads for the tournament
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi.
Squad
A look at NZ and SA's Champions Trophy squads
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O'Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young.
South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Corbin Bosch.
Travelling reserve: Kwena Maphaka