The 2017 ICC Champions Trophy to kick off today as the eight best ODI teams in the world battle it out. This year, the Champions Trophy, which is being hosted in England and Wales will feature top 8 cricketing nations: India, Pakistan, Australia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, England, South Africa and New Zealand.

There will be many technological add-ons to the series. Along with the bat sensor, Intel has designed a Falcon 8 Drone, which will be equipped with HD and infrared cameras for advanced pitch analysis ahead of the matches.
The images caught by the drone will be offering rich visual data which will be used to generate pitch reports. It will also allow the fans to experience what it actually feels like to face the world’s best bowlers.
While India and Australia are being predicted as the two likeliest to meet in the final, there will be teams like hosts England who will have a lot to say about that. As of now, these three teams look the likeliest to be top picks, since the others do not look consistent enough.

Google today celebrated the starting of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 with a doodle game. The eight-nation Champions Trophy starts today and Google is celebrating it with an interactive doodle where you can also play the game of cricket. The match features cricket versus snails. The batsman is a cricket and the fielders are snails.

Tournament fixtures

June 1: England v Bangladesh, The Oval (10:30am)

June 2: Australia v New Zealand, Edgbaston (10:30am)

June 3: Sri Lanka v South Africa, The Oval (10:30am)

June 4: India v Pakistan, Edgbaston (10:30am)

June 5: Australia v Bangladesh, The Oval (d/n) (1:30pm)

June 6: England v New Zealand, Cardiff (10:30 am)

June 7: Pakistan v South Africa, Edgbaston (d/n) (1:30pm)

June 8: India v Sri Lanka, The Oval (10:30am)

June 9: New Zealand v Bangladesh, Cardiff (10:30am)

June 10: England v Australia, Edgbaston (10:30am)

June 11: India v South Africa, The Oval (10:30am)

June 12: Sri Lanka v Pakistan, Cardiff (10:30am)

June 14: First semi-final (A1 v B2), Cardiff (10:30am)

June 15: Second semi-final (A2 v B1), Edgbaston (10:30am)

June 18: Final, The Oval (10:30am; reserve day on 19 June)