India (IND) and Australia (AUS) face off in the 1st semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 (CT 2025) on Tuesday, March 4, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
India finished on top of Group A, winning all three group-stage games, including a well-contested 44-run win over New Zealand in their most recent outing on Sunday. They'll look to make their third straight final in an ICC tournament with a win against Australia.
An injury-ravaged Australia have done well to reach the semi-finals, with their win over England proving instrumental in reaching the knockout stages. They will come into this contest as the underdogs, but will back themselves to stun India in this fixture.
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Let's now look at the top three Dream11 differentials in what should be a high-octane encounter.
#3 Jake Fraser-McGurk (BAT) (AUS)
With Matthew Short getting a hamstring niggle in Australia's last outing against Afghanistan, young Jake Fraser-McGurk could be thrown into the deep end as the opener for this crucial semifinal clash against India.
An impressive IPL 2024 campaign opened the doors for his integration into the Australian limited-overs setup, but Jake hasn't been able to leave the desired impact in international cricket. However, he is a fearless batter with a record of getting quickly off the blocks across formats and conditions.
If he manages to get a quick start in this match, his clean ball-striking ability could see him record a sizeable Dream11 haul very quickly. Being an opening batter, he's definitely a powerful differential pick for your teams.
#2 Nathan Ellis (BOWL) (AUS)
The very skillful Aussie seamer Nathan Ellis could be a quality Dream11 differential option in this match. He has been overshadowed by Adam Zampa and the other Indian bowlers on Dream11, but Dubai is a venue where he could shine and be among the wickets.
Unlike the wickets in Pakistan, Dubai has offered plenty to the seamers, and Ellis' bag of tricks and variations will serve him well against an in-form Indian batting lineup that he's used to bowling against courtesy his experience in the IPL.
His role in the team as a death bowler bodes well for his chances of wicket-taking, and at minimal ownership, Ellis could be a terrific Dream11 option.
#1 KL Rahul (WK) (IND)
After Josh Inglis' hundred and the presence of Alex Carey as another wicket-keeping option, KL Rahul's Dream11 ownership has taken a hit ahead of this match. The Indian wicket-keeper's demotion to No. 6 has dented his appeal as an option, but his record against Australia more than makes up for that.
Rahul has scored 697 runs in 16 innings against Australia, averaging a terrific 57.58 with the bat. Regardless of his entry point, Rahul can take on the Aussie bowlers and build an innings, with his ability to score boundaries at any phase of the game bolstering his point-scoring potential.
Given that he could also score points for dismissals behind the stumps, Rahul is a worthwhile Dream11 punt for this fixture.
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