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The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 came to an end with India lifting the title after a thrilling final against New Zealand at the Dubai International Stadium. While several players grabbed the spotlight with their stunning performances, others endured a nightmare tournament, failing to deliver on the big stage.
As we wrap up the tournament, here’s a Worst Playing XI featuring players who couldn’t live up to expectations.
Table of content
- 1 Top Order: Phil Salt, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Babar Azam
- 2 Middle Order: Mohammad Rizwan (C/WK), Mushfiqur Rahim, Jos Buttler
- 3 All-Rounder: Marco Jansen
- 4 Bowlers: Rashid Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Nathan Ellis, Fazalhaq Farooqi
- 5 Worst Playing XI of ICC Champions Trophy 2025
- 6 Share this:
- 7 Like this:
- 8 Related
Top Order: Phil Salt, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Babar Azam
| Player | Runs | Average/SR |
|---|---|---|
| Phil Salt | 30 | 10.00 / 120.00 |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | 16 | 5.33 / 47.05 |
| Babar Azam | 87 | 43.50 / 75.00 |
England’s Phil Salt and Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz had a tournament to forget. Both batters struggled against quality pace attacks, exposing their weaknesses against the moving ball.
Meanwhile, Babar Azam scored 87 runs in two matches, but his slow strike rate came under heavy criticism. His painstaking fifty in the opening match against New Zealand ended up costing Pakistan dearly. Given his high standards, Babar finds himself in the Worst XI.
Middle Order: Mohammad Rizwan (C/WK), Mushfiqur Rahim, Jos Buttler
| Player | Runs | Average/SR |
|---|---|---|
| Mohammad Rizwan | 49 | 24.50 / 53.84 |
| Mushfiqur Rahim | 2 | 1.00 / 33.33 |
| Jos Buttler | 82 | 27.33 / 77.35 |
Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan, who captained the side, had a disastrous campaign. His defensive approach with the bat, coupled with poor tactical decisions, saw him face massive backlash.
Bangladesh’s experienced batter Mushfiqur Rahim was completely out of sorts, scoring just 2 runs in the entire tournament. Meanwhile, England’s Jos Buttler, known for his power-hitting, failed to make a mark, scoring at a below-par strike rate of 77.35.
All-Rounder: Marco Jansen
| Player | Runs | Wickets | Bowl Avg/SR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marco Jansen | 3 | 4 | 37.50 / 37.50 |
South Africa’s Marco Jansen had an extremely poor tournament, failing with both bat and ball. His worst moment came in the semifinal, where he conceded 79 runs without taking a wicket, sealing his place in the Worst XI.
Bowlers: Rashid Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Nathan Ellis, Fazalhaq Farooqi
| Bowler | Wickets | Average/SR |
|---|---|---|
| Rashid Khan | 1 | 125.00 / 120.00 |
| Shaheen Afridi | 2 | 71.00 / 54.00 |
| Nathan Ellis | 3 | 53.33 / 60.00 |
| Fazalhaq Farooqi | 2 | 76.50 / 63.00 |
Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, one of the best spinners in the world, had a forgettable tournament, picking up just one wicket at an awful economy rate.
Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi, usually a match-winner, could manage only two wickets while leaking too many runs.
Australia’s Nathan Ellis was economical but lacked breakthroughs, taking only three wickets in the tournament.
Meanwhile, Fazalhaq Farooqi had a terrible time with the ball, conceding runs at an alarming rate and picking up only two wickets in the entire event.
Worst Playing XI of ICC Champions Trophy 2025
1️⃣ Phil Salt
2️⃣ Rahmanullah Gurbaz
3️⃣ Babar Azam
4️⃣ Mohammad Rizwan (C/WK)
5️⃣ Mushfiqur Rahim
6️⃣ Jos Buttler
7️⃣ Marco Jansen
8️⃣ Rashid Khan
9️⃣ Shaheen Afridi
🔟 Nathan Ellis
1️⃣1️⃣ Fazalhaq Farooqi
These players had huge expectations but failed to deliver in crucial moments. With the Champions Trophy over, they will be looking to bounce back in their upcoming matches and prove their critics wrong.
