The ICC Champions Trophy is less than a week away. The teams have reached their respective venues and begun preparations for the showpiece event. Pakistan and New Zealand will kick off the tournament at the National Stadium in Karachi on February 19 while India will play their first game against Bangladesh on February 20. The blockbuster clash between India and Pakistan will take place at the Dubai International Stadium on February 23.

Ahead of the tournament, former Australia captain Michael Clarke made some bold predictions. Clarke predicted the top run scorer, leading wicket-taker and player of the tournament during the ICC Champions Trophy.

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When asked about the leading run scorer in the ICC Champions Trophy, Clarke backed Indian captain Rohit Sharma to top the charts. Clarke also backed India to win the ICC Champions Trophy.

“Well, I’m saying India is going to win, so I’m going with their captain who’s back in form. I’m going to say Rohit Sharma will be the leading run-scorer in the tournament,” Clarke stated. Rohit would head to the tournament with decent form, having scored a hundred in the second ODI vs England. “Wouldn’t it be great to see him back in wonderful form? It’s good to see him making runs again. Absolutely, I think India needs him for sure,” the 43-year-old added during the Beyond23 Cricket podcast, host Erin Holland

When it comes to the top wicket-taker, Clarke was quick to take the name of England pacer Jofra Archer. “Wow, most wickets? Well, when we did the PSL last year, it didn’t spin that much; the wickets were slow. I’m going to go with a fast bowler. I’ll pick Jofra Archer as the leading wicket-taker,” Clarke predicted. “I know England might not do that well, but I think he’s a superstar. Jofra is going to be really hard to play, so I’m going to have him as my leading wicket-taker,” he added.

The former Australia captain backed Travis Head to win the Player of the Tournament Award. “If it’s between India and Australia, I’m going with Travis Head. His IPL form was phenomenal, his Australian summer Test form was phenomenal, and after a short break in Sri Lanka, he’s ready to go again,” Clarke explained.

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