On February 19, 2025, the ICC Champions Trophy began with a match between event host Pakistan vs New Zealand at National Bank Stadium Karachi. New Zealand won by 60 runs.

New Zealand’s Strong Start

New Zealand chose to bat first, scoring an impressive 320/5 in their 50 overs. Openers Will Young and Devon Conway couldn’t give a solid start to New Zealand. Devon Conway only scored 10 runs and he played 17 balls. The first wicket was down on 39/1 and Kane Williamson faced only 2 deliveries and caught behind the stumps. However Will Young scoring 107 runs from 113 balls, and Tom Latham’s impressive 118 not out runs off 104 balls helped New Zealand to a big total. Latham’s partnership with Glenn Phillips, who made a quick 61 runs off 39 balls, helped increase the score late in the innings. Pakistan’s bowlers, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and especially Naseem Shah (2/63), struggled to stop the aggressive batting.

Pakistan’s Effort

Chasing 321, Pakistan’s innings stumbled early. Opener Saud Shakeel only scored 6 runs by facing 19 balls, and the Captain Muhammad Rizwan was also struggling for runs he only contributed 3 runs for Pakistan team. Fakhar Zaman, with a back injury from fielding, struggled and made just 24 runs. His injury affected Pakistan’s batting order.
Despite 64 runs from Babar Azam and a brave 69 runs from Khushdil Shah, Pakistan’s chase lacked momentum. The middle order failed to form partnerships, causing a collapse.
William O’Rourke (3/47) and Mitchell Santner (3/66) helped New Zealand, effectively breaking Pakistan’s batting lineup.

Key Moments

One key moment was Glenn Phillips’ one-handed diving catch to dismiss Pakistan’s captain Mohammad Rizwan in the tenth over, shifting momentum to New Zealand.
and Babar Azam’s 64 runs knock didn’t help Pakistan. without a doubt he is one of the best player but due to his recent performs where he was out of form, in this match he was looking he is playing for him self not for the team. Although he scored 64 but he played 1980’s cricket.

Post-Match Thoughts

Pakistan’s vice-captain, Salman Ali Agha, blamed the loss on poor death bowling and Fakhar Zaman’s injury, which disrupted the batting lineup. While he is hoping to improve in these areas for next games.
New Zealand’s captain, Mitchell Santner, was surprised by the high total, praising Young, Latham, and Phillips. He mentioned the team’s ability to score quickly in the later overs.

Conclusion
Babar Azam needs to play modern day cricket where teams can’t afford too many dot balls, and Pakistani Skipper should revisit in the dressing room and rethink what decision he could make on the field.
New Zealand’s strong 60-run win over Pakistan in the Champions Trophy.
Their players showcased their depth and resilience. With standout performances from Young, Latham, and Phillips, they set a high total for the Pakistan.
Pakistan needs to fix their bowling strategies and batting order issues to recover in their next matches. GOOD LUCK TEAM PAKISTAN.