Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra gave his early verdict on the WTC finals and England’s situation in this phase of the championship. He feels the Ben Stokes-led side won’t make it to the finals of the competition, given the current team they have in hand.
England managed only two wins over India in the drawn Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 and collected 43.13 points, currently sitting in 4th position in the WTC table. They were stripped of two points due to a slow over-rate during the third Test of the series.
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Aakash Chopra Warns of Tough Home Fixtures for England in WTC Race
In a video shared on YouTube, Aakash Chopra said England's road to the WTC finals looks difficult. He pointed out that their upcoming home fixtures against New Zealand and Pakistan, could be tricky. Chopra highlighted that while England might get past Pakistan, the Black Caps would pose a much tougher challenge.
"England are hosting New Zealand, India and Pakistan. The series against India has ended in a 2-2 draw. They might beat Pakistan. New Zealand will trouble them. New Zealand are not pushovers," Chopra said.
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He further predicted that England will face an even tougher time away from home, with tours of Australia, South Africa, and Bangladesh ahead.
"Their away tours are against Australia, South Africa and Bangladesh. England are not qualifying. I feel England won't qualify this time either because they will not win the home series 100 percent, and going away, they will find it difficult in Bangladesh as well. You know what will happen in South Africa and Australia," he added.
Chopra Backs New Zealand as Strong WTC Final Contenders
Turning his attention to New Zealand, Aakash Chopra picked them as one of his favorites to reach the WTC final. He noted that their home schedule, facing India, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies works in their favor. However, their away matches could be more challenging, with tours to Australia, England, and Pakistan.
"New Zealand's home series are against India, the West Indies and Sri Lanka. It's actually a favorable draw. You can win all three series at home. You can beat India, the West Indies and Sri Lanka. Their away series are slightly difficult Australia, England and Pakistan," he said.
Chopra believes that if New Zealand can win all their home series, and secure at least one win and a draw away, they could be strong contenders.
"I don't see them winning in Australia, at least at this point in time. If they win one of the series against Pakistan and England and draw the other, and win all the series at home, New Zealand may have a chance. New Zealand can be one of the contenders," Chopra concluded.
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