ICC Champions Trophy – Semi-Finals Beckon

ICC Champions Trophy – The Story so Far

Eight days in, and entering the crucial last round of group games, the ICC Champions Trophy is warming up nicely, despite the rather damp efforts of the Great British weather. England are the only side that have qualified for the semi-finals so far, and they will want to make life as difficult as possible for their old Ashes enemy Australia on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Group B games on Sunday (India vs South Africa) and Monday (Sri Lanka vs Pakistan) are now effectively quarter-finals. There’s all to play for.

So, who are the players that have made their mark so far? And who should you have in your FANTO Fantasy Cricket Line-up? On the batting front, Joe Root and Kane Williamson have lived up to expectations, but are both behind the explosive Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal, who heads the runscorers. The biggest surprise has undoubtedly been the lack of runs from AB DeVilliers. Will Sunday’s must-win showdown with India see him come to the party, or will the mighty Virat Kohli, along with India’s prolific openers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma, outshine AB?

ICC Champions Trophy - Liam Plunkett

Leading the wicket-takers are unsung heroes Liam Plunkett of England with 8 scalps, and Aussie Josh Hazelwood with 7. Can the like of Imran Tahir, Mitchell Starc, Lasith Malinga and Morne Morkel make up ground on the top two over the next few days?

All Rounders are vital for any side in ODI cricket, and there have been solid performances already from the likes of Ben Stokes and Adil Rashid for England, Ravi Jadeja and Yuvraj Singh for India, Corey Anderson for the Kiwis and Shakib Al Hasan for Bangladesh.

Finally we can have a look at the glove men, and best of the wicket keepers so far have been England’s Jos Buttler, India’s MS Dhoni and New Zealand’s Luke Ronchi. Mushfiqur Rahim may not have bagged any victims behind the stumps, but has contributed well with the bat.

So, there’s plenty to play for in the next four days, as the other seven sides battle to join England in the semis. Get involved with your own team, and cheer on the stars on show.

Fantasy Football Portal have teamed up with FANTO, who are offering you the chance to win cash playing Fantasy Cricket in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy.

Who makes your team?