Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting and ex-India head coach Ravi Shastri have picked two firm favorites for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy Final.

The legendary duo predicted India and Australia will square off in the summit clash, based on their recent success in the marquee tournaments.

“It's hard to go past India and Australia again,” Ponting told The ICC Review.

“Just think about the quality of players in both countries right now, and you look back in recent history when these big finals and big ICC events have come around and inevitably Australia and India are there somewhere.”

India and Australia have won the Champions Trophy twice each. The two teams played out the ICC World Test Championship and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2023, where the side from Down Under emerged victorious on both occasions.

According to Ponting, hosts Pakistan can pose a strong challenge to India and Australia. “The other team that is playing some really good cricket at the moment is Pakistan. Their one-day cricket over the last little bit has been absolutely outstanding. We know they're not always the most predictable team in those big tournaments, but they seem like they've sorted things out a little bit,” he opined.

While Shastri endorsed Ponting’s views on the final contenders, he named England and South Africa as the other semi-finals prospects in the eight-team tournament.

The Champions Trophy will get underway on February 19 in Karachi with the hosts playing New Zealand in the opening fixture while the final will take place on March 9.

(With ICC Inputs)