India and Australia – the two powerhouses of world cricket – will face off in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy 2025 at the Dubai International Stadium today. India have a solid history in the tournament, winning the 2013 edition and making it to the final of the 2017 event. Meanwhile, Australia have lifted the marquee trophy in 2006 and 2009 and are the reigning champions after beating India on home soil in 2023.
Ahead of the high-stakes match today, India middle-order batter Shreyas Iyeropened up about playing in the semi-finals. In a video released by the BCCI, Iyer said, “Tough times don’t last forever, tough players do. When the times are tough, that’s when I like to pull things back. The Gate to Glory is now visible, although the stakes are even higher. Sure, this is just another game but the desire to win has just doubled. The clock is ticking, the semi-final is around the corner. And the F-Iyer is ignited. See you on the other side,”
Shreyas Iyer in Champions Trophy so far:
Notably, Shreyas Iyer has been in fine form of late, starting with the ODI series against England at home, where he scored 78, 44 and 59 respectively in the 3 matches. While Iyer had a lacklustre start to the Champions Trophy, he came into his own from the Pakistan game onwards, scoring 56 runs and helping Virat Kohli win the match.
Iyer followed up that innings with another scintillating knock against New Zealand on Sunday, when he scored 79 runs, which proved crucial in the end as India chased down a total of 249 runs to defeat the Kiwis by 44 runs.
Iyer’s importance was perhaps best analyzed by India’s former number 4 batter, Ambati Rayudu, who, in an interaction with JioHotstar, said, “The importance of a No. 4 batsman is evident here. You need someone to play such crucial innings when the top order fails, especially on challenging surfaces that are not easy to bat on. That’s where No. 4 and No. 5 become critical in an ODI game,”
