Champions Trophy LIVE Score, PAK vs NZ: Facing significant pressure during the match at Karachi’s National Stadium, skipper Mohammad Rizwan won the toss and decided to send New Zealand in to bat first.
Champions Trophy LIVE Score, PAK vs NZ: The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will start with Pakistan facing New Zealand in Karachi on Wednesday. The Pakistan-New Zealand match promises to benefit both sides because they played each other recently in a tri-series tournament in Pakistan. The Champions Trophy returns to the ICC calendar after eight years since its last occurrence in 2017.
Champions Trophy LIVE Score, PAK vs NZ: Mohammad Rizwan won the toss during the Champions Trophy opener against New Zealand at Karachi and decided to chase after sending the Kiwis out to bat first. Haris Rauf earned a spot in the team but Rachin Ravindra did not make the roster. It’s back!
The ICC Champions Trophy hasn’t been held for eight years and international white-ball cricket has seen many changes since then. Since 2017 the sport has undergone significant changes because of multiple ODI World Cups and numerous T20I World Cups along with captaincy and personnel adjustments. After a lengthy wait Pakistan will defend their Champions Trophy title on home soil because a major ICC tournament returns to Pakistan after three decades.
Pakistan will host the tournament’s opening match against New Zealand in Lahore to begin the group stages. The teams will play their third match in approximately two weeks after competing twice against each other in the recently completed Tri-Nation series which served as preparation for both the players and the venues before this key tournament.
New Zealand defeated Pakistan twice during the series including a convincing victory in the finals which signals potential challenges for Pakistan but the hosts will see improved chances against New Zealand as they contend with injuries like other teams in the tournament.
The New Zealand cricket team demonstrates consistent excellence throughout tournaments which sets them apart from teams that display unpredictable performances. Mitchell Santner’s team maintains multiple threats in their lineup but remains short-staffed due to Lockie Ferguson and Ben Sears sustaining injuries plus Rachin Ravindra suffering a freak head injury especially affecting their bowling department.
Don’t write them off, though: The Black Caps thrive on executing what seem like improbable victories which defy the definition of upsets as they prepare to thwart Pakistan’s crucial home series.
What plans have the hosts prepared for us?
Batting on tracks in Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi will prove to be an absolute dream experience. During the past five years no other country in world cricket has produced as many 300+ scores and Pakistan’s Test team wants turners but Mohammad Rizwan’s ODI team does not share this requirement.
Fans can look forward to abundant scoring across the tournament which will deliver excitement after previous low-scoring editions in England. Reintroducing the Champions Trophy requires a strong impact which this approach achieves.
The team suffers from the absence of opener Saim Ayub who has shown great potential at the top of the order early in his ODI career but currently faces injury challenges. The absence of Saim Ayub has resulted in Babar Azam moving to the position of opening batsman while he attempts to break his ODI century drought since May 2023.
Babar must score quickly as growing pressure forces him to deliver after a couple of underwhelming years amidst rising criticism. The tri-series showcases Pakistan’s strengths through solid middle order batting performances from Rizwan and Salman Agha along with effective pace bowling from Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah while Haris Rauf continues to excel during major tournaments. Pakistan’s success in the tournament will depend heavily on its batting performance.
The Champions Trophy launches with this game today while a loss could end either team’s tournament run – will Pakistan deliver the result or will New Zealand transform this pivotal match into a bitter memory for Pakistan supporters?