Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan stated that his side did not expect New Zealand to score 320 runs in the first innings, having gotten off to a solid start, and poor execution in the death overs resulted in their 60-run loss in their opening game of the 2025 Champions Trophy being played at the National Bank Stadium. Despite losing two early wickets, New Zealand showed resilience and tactical acumen. Their top order, led by Will Young (107) and Tom Latham (118*), took the fight to the hosts. Following Young’s dismissal, Glenn Phillips proved to be the game changer as he accelerated the Kiwis run-rate at a strike rate of 156.41, in an innings laced with three boundaries and four sixes, on his way to scoring 61 runs in 39 deliveries.

“I think they made a very good target, we didn’t expect they would get 320. We thought around 260 when we took early wickets. The Will Young-Latham partnership was crucial. We tried, but they played very smartly and that’s why they got to that total. The pitch was not easy to bat early on, but Will Young and Latham’s innings were crucial. Our execution in the end overs was not good, and that’s why they made that score,” said Rizwan in the post-match presentation.

Pakistan’s chase however failed to live up to the hype of the home crowd, having gotten the opportunity to watch a major ICC tournament game in the country for the first time since 1996.

After Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan’s early dismissals, the home ground witnessed a lacklustre innings from Babar Azam as he inched his way to a total of 64 on the night, in 90 balls, leaving the hosts in a difficult position.

This defeat leaves Pakistan in a precarious position ahead of their high-stakes encounter against arch-rivals India. The defending champions will need to address their batting concerns quickly, particularly their lack of intent and inability to build momentum early in the innings. With Bangladesh also in their group, the road to the semi-finals has become significantly tougher, and any further slip-ups could prove costly.

Rizwan said his team will not be taking any added pressure for the crucial tie vs India and will treat it as a normal game.

“We lost momentum twice, first in the death overs and then in the powerplay with the bat. Losing Fakhar Zaman [as opener] was crucial. We didn’t want to put pressure on ourselves by thinking we are defending champions. This match is gone, and the next match is another normal match for us,” he added.

Pakistan got a major injury scare during the opening game of Champions Trophy 2025 on Wednesday. The side’s star batter Fakhar Zaman injured himself while trying to field a ball on the second delivery of the match. Zaman was taken off the ground as he looked in discomfort. He was replaced by Kamran Ghulam on the field. Zaman did return to action ahead of the 14th over, but he was taken off the ground again. “Fakhar Zaman is being assessed and examined for a muscular sprain and further updates will be provided in due course,” informed PCB.

Talking in detail about the injury, New Zealand opener Will Young had driven Shaheen Afridi through the covers, prompting Zaman to sprint after the ball. While he managed to relay it to Babar Azam, the left-hander immediately signalled discomfort and walked off the field alongside the team physio.

His exit cast an early shadow on Pakistan’s campaign. Saim Ayub had suffered an ankle fracture while chasing a ball in a Test against South Africa, ruling him out of the Champions Trophy and forcing Pakistan to recall Zaman into their ODI setup.

Despite the injury scare, Pakistan had a pre-match boost with fast bowler Haris Rauf declared fit to play. Rauf, who had pulled up with a side strain during a recent triangular series, was a welcome addition to the attack.

However, New Zealand had their fitness concerns, with all-rounder Rachin Ravindra missing out. The youngster was forced out from the field after being struck in the forehead by the ball while attempting a catch in the 38th over of their match against Pakistan in the ODI tri-series last week.

Although trained yesterday and showed no signs of delayed concussion, the BlackCaps opted to keep him on the sidelines for this fixture.

The game also marked a historic occasion, as ICC tournament cricket returned to Pakistan for the first time since 1996. Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and elected field first against New Zealand.

Talking about the opening game of Champions Trophy 2025, Pakistan skipper Mohammed Rizwan won the toss and opted to bowl first in Karachi.

Here are the playing XIs –

Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

Devon Conway, Will Young, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, William ORourke

(With IANS Inputs)

ICC Champions Trophy 2025, PAK vs NZ LIVE Updates© AFP

The Champions Trophy is back on the calendars of cricket enthusiasts as the extravaganza fest returns after over seven years of absence with a high-profile match between Pakistan and New Zealand beginning the tournament in the revamped Karachi Stadium on Wednesday. Cricket has been going through a phase where the ODI craves attention while its younger sibling, T20I, has been getting all the plaudits for delivering on its promise of an action-packed affair.

As the Champions Trophy returns, fans’ appetite for ODI cricket is expected to return to its peak. A lot has happened since Sarfaraz Ahmed took Pakistan to glory in 2017 by overwhelming their bitter rival, India, with a 180-run victory in the final.

Before fans could forget Pakistan’s success story in 2017, the Champions Trophy has returned, even though it remains an awkward fit considering the amount of T20I and Test action that has unfolded over the past years.

In the tournament opener, Pakistan will face familiar foes, New Zealand, who have recently had an upper hand over the defending champions. The Blackcaps will be on familiar turf, considering no other team has played more ODIs than them in Pakistan (11) since the beginning of 2019.

New Zealand will certainly back themselves to outfox Pakistan, considering their success over Pakistan in the ODI tri-nation final just five days before in Karachi.

In the 2019 and 2023 ICC ODI World Cup, New Zealand and Pakistan faced each other twice, and on both occasions, the Men in Green dug deep and found the road to success.

For Pakistan, the most concerning thing about their lineup would be their misfiring premier batter, Babar Azam. He has gone 21 innings without scoring a century in the format. His recent promotion to the top of the order would allow him to quickly exploit the powerplay conditions and pile up runs across his name.

Apart from Babar’s form, Pakistan’s biggest worry will be New Zealand spinners. Captain Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell combined to pick up five wickets during the ODI tri-nation series at an economy of 4.41, which is remarkable considering the rate at which South Africa’s (5.94) and Pakistan’s (5.67) ball tweakers conceded runs.

Looking at both sides’ head-to-head record in the Champions Trophy, both teams squared off against each other in 2000, 2006, and 2009, with the Kiwis emerging victorious on all three occasions.

Overall, in the ODIs, Pakistan and New Zealand have been neck-to-neck in their past 11 encounters. The Kiwis have won five and lost six; however, in their past four meetings, New Zealand has sought victory thrice.

As both teams prepare to add a new chapter to their rivalry, it will be interesting to see who wins the bragging rights on Wednesday.

New Zealand likely XI: Will Young/Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Nathan Smith/Jacob Duffy, Will O’Rourke

Pakistan likely XI: Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam/Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf