The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 concluded with India lifting the trophy after an emphatic victory over New Zealand in the final at the Dubai International Stadium. While some players delivered outstanding performances, winning the admiration of fans worldwide, others fell short of expectations and failed to make an impact.
With the tournament wrapped up, let’s take a look at the worst playing XI of the Champions Trophy—players who struggled the most and disappointed their teams.
Top Order: Phil Salt, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Babar Azam
| Player | Runs | Average/SR |
|---|---|---|
| Phil Salt | 30 | 10 / 120 |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | 16 | 5.33 / 47.05 |
| Babar Azam | 87 | 43.5 / 75 |
Explosive openers Phil Salt and Rahmanullah Gurbaz had a miserable outing in the tournament, struggling against the moving ball. Their technical flaws were exposed by quality pace attacks, leading to disappointing performances.
Babar Azam, despite scoring 87 runs in two matches, faced severe criticism due to his low strike rate (75). His fifty in the opening game against New Zealand came at a slow pace and eventually proved costly as Pakistan lost the match. Given his below-par numbers, Babar finds himself in the worst XI of the Champions Trophy 2025.
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 / 33.33 |
| Jos Buttler | 82 | 27.33 / 77.35 |
Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan had an underwhelming tournament, not only struggling with the bat but also facing backlash for his tactical decisions. His low strike rate (53.84) further hurt Pakistan’s batting momentum.
Mushfiqur Rahim was a massive disappointment, scoring only 2 runs in the tournament, while Jos Buttler, known for his aggressive batting, failed to leave an impact and had an uncharacteristically poor run in the Champions Trophy.
All-Rounder: Marco Jansen
| Runs | Wickets | Bowling Avg/SR |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 4 | 37.5 / 37.5 |
South African all-rounder Marco Jansen had a nightmare campaign, contributing just 3 runs with the bat. His bowling performance was equally poor, particularly in the semifinal clash, where he conceded 79 runs without taking a wicket, solidifying his place in the worst XI.
Bowlers: Rashid Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Nathan Ellis, Fazalhaq Farooqi
| Bowler | Wickets | Average/SR |
|---|---|---|
| Rashid Khan | 1 | 125 / 120 |
| Shaheen Afridi | 2 | 71 / 54 |
| Nathan Ellis | 3 | 53.33 / 60 |
| Fazalhaq Farooqi | 2 | 76.50 / 63 |
Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, one of the most feared spinners in world cricket, had a disastrous tournament, managing just one wicket at an economy rate that left much to be desired. His fellow countryman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, was equally disappointing with only two wickets at a terrible average of 76.50.
Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi, who was expected to lead the team’s pace attack, had an off tournament, taking just two wickets at an economy of 7.88, failing to create pressure in the powerplay.
Australian pacer Nathan Ellis didn’t leak too many runs but was ineffective in terms of wickets, managing only three scalps at a strike rate of 60.
Final Worst XI of ICC Champions Trophy 2025
- Phil Salt
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz
- Babar Azam
- Mohammad Rizwan (C/WK)
- Mushfiqur Rahim
- Jos Buttler
- Marco Jansen
- Rashid Khan
- Shaheen Afridi
- Nathan Ellis
- Fazalhaq Farooqi
While these players have had stellar careers, the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 was a tournament to forget for them. With cricket being unpredictable, they will undoubtedly look to bounce back stronger in the upcoming tournaments.
