New Zealand beat Pakistan by 60 runs in Karachi

Matt Henry cleans up Naseem Shah to seal a 60-run victory for New Zealand. A dominant performance sees the Kiwis outplay Pakistan in all departments.

Haris Rauf’s fighting cameo comes to an end as he miscues a wide delivery from Santner, handing an easy catch to long-on. New Zealand inches closer to victory!

With just two wickets in hand, Pakistan need a near-impossible 91 runs from 32 balls. Can they pull off a miracle or is the game out of reach?

Khushdil Shah’s explosive 69 off 49 balls keeps Pakistan’s net run rate in check but comes too late to change the game’s outcome. A valiant effort nonetheless!

Khushdil Shah’s aggressive intent fuels Pakistan’s chase as he keeps their hopes alive with a fearless knock. Can he pull off a stunning finish?

Khushdil Shah lights up the chase with his first ODI fifty, reaching the milestone in just 38 balls. His aggressive intent and power hitting keep Pakistan’s hopes alive.

Shaheen Afridi’s quick 14-run knock ends as he top-edges a pull shot to Latham off Henry’s short ball. Pakistan’s chances fade with another wicket down.

Babar Azam departs for 64, top-edging a sweep off Santner to Williamson. Pakistan’s chase is in deep trouble as their captain walks back disappointed.

Tayyab Tahir departs for just 1, chipping a simple catch to Williamson off Santner’s bowling. Pakistan’s chase takes another hit as wickets keep tumbling.

Fakhar Zaman’s innings comes to an end as Michael Bracewell cleans him up. Battling injury, he fought hard but falls for 24, leaving Pakistan in trouble.

Despite battling pain, Fakhar Zaman smashes boundaries to keep Pakistan’s hopes alive in the chase. Can he steer his team to a thrilling victory?

Pakistan end the first 10 overs with their lowest-ever home ODI powerplay score. Fakhar Zaman now walks in to a loud reception as Michael Bracewell joins the attack.

Mohammad Rizwan falls for just 3 as Glenn Phillips takes a stunning one-handed catch at backward point. Pakistan loses their second wicket early in the chase.

Pakistan faces a slow start, reaching 14/1 after 7 overs with a required run rate climbing to 7.13. Babar Azam (6*) and Mohammad Rizwan (1*) look to rebuild.

Saud Shakeel departs for just 6 runs, chasing a wide delivery and slicing it to third man. New Zealand gets an early breakthrough in Pakistan’s chase!

Fakhar Zaman will only be available to bat 20 minutes into Pakistan’s innings, forcing a change at the top. Saud Shakeel joins Babar Azam as the new opening pair.

Tom Latham guides New Zealand to a strong finish with 3 runs off the final ball. Pakistan now faces a challenging chase of 321 for victory.

Glenn Phillips falls for a blistering 61 off 39, caught by Fakhar Zaman off Haris Rauf. His explosive 125-run stand with Latham puts New Zealand in command!

Pakistan faces a fielding penalty for a slow over rate, restricting them to just four fielders outside the circle for the final two overs instead of five.

Glenn Phillips smashes his sixth ODI fifty in just 34 balls, hitting four sixes and a four. A powerful knock to boost New Zealand’s total!

Tom Latham brings up a brilliant century off 95 balls, with nine fours and two sixes. New Zealand now has two centurions in a Champions Trophy innings!

New Zealand reaches 159/2 at the end of the second play, with Tom Latham unbeaten on 67 and Glenn Phillips on 4*, aiming for a big total.

Will Young departs after a superb 107 off 113 balls, caught by sub-fielder Faheem Ashraf off Naseem Shah’s delivery. A crucial breakthrough for Pakistan!

Fakhar Zaman returns to the field after being assessed for a muscular sprain. He has been cleared to continue playing for Pakistan.

Tom Latham brings up his second consecutive fifty, scoring 50 off 61 balls. His steady innings keeps New Zealand in a strong position against Pakistan.

Will Young sweeps his way to a brilliant century! Despite an uneasy start, he anchors New Zealand’s innings, marking his fourth overseas ODI hundred.

Drama unfolds as Latham’s pull is dropped by Salman Ali Agha, who then narrowly misses running out Young at the non-striker’s end. Two chances missed by Pakistan!

The fan stood out in the crowd, clutching a poster with the heartfelt message, ‘Miss you, Saim’ alongside a sketched photo of Saim Ayub

Shubman Gill surpasses Babar Azam to claim the top spot in the ICC ODI rankings. A monumental milestone in the young Indian batter’s career!

Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman is being evaluated for a muscular sprain. PCB confirms ongoing assessment, with further updates to follow on his condition.

Will Young delivers a steady knock, scoring his 11th ODI fifty in the opening match. It’s his 3rd fifty in ICC events and against Pakistan, averaging 45.42.

Haris Rauf’s hard-length delivery cramps Daryl Mitchell, forcing a mistimed pull straight to Shaheen Afridi at mid-on. New Zealand loses a key wicket!

New Zealand struggles at 48/2 after 10 overs, losing two quick wickets. Naseem Shah’s fiery pace and Abrar Ahmed’s sharp spin put Pakistan ahead.

Naseem Shah gets the big wicket of Kane Williamson! A back-of-length delivery finds the edge, and Rizwan completes a sharp catch. Huge moment for Pakistan!

Abrar Ahmed removes Devon Conway, knocking over his stumps for 10. A crucial breakthrough for Pakistan in the early stages.

Fakhar Zaman suffers an injury while chasing the ball to the boundary. Kamran Ghulam steps in as his replacement.

Shaheen Shah Afridi kicks off the innings with a dot ball to Will Young. A watchful start from New Zealand as they begin their chase.

Shaheen Shah Afridi has played 63 ODIs, taking 125 wickets at a strike rate of 25.44 and an economy of 5.57. He has three five-wicket hauls, with a best of 6/35.

The ICC Champions Trophy kicked off in style with a breathtaking air show at Karachi Stadium, thrilling fans ahead of the opening match.

Pakistan:

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

New Zealand:

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

Mohammad Rizwan wins the toss and chooses to bowl first, expecting Dew to play a role later. He emphasizes a relaxed approach overpressure.

Mitchell Santner acknowledges the challenge of dew but trusts his batters on a good wicket. Rizwan opts to bowl first, banking on dew later. Matt Henry and Haris Rauf return to their respective lineups.

Bazid Khan and Matthew Hayden analyzed the pitch conditions, noting that the off side boundary is 62m for a right-handed batter, while the leg side stretches to 67m. The boundary straight down the ground is longer. They pointed out that the surface is very dry with noticeable cracks, which should make it an interesting wicket. While mixed results have been observed in run chases here, they suggested that an ideal target would be around 300 runs. With the dry patches and cracks in the good length area, spinners are likely to play a significant role. The key for the batters will be to manage the smaller side of the ground effectively while defending against the spin.

Fans can watch all the matches of ICC Champions Trophy 2025 live through different Live Streaming options.

Pakistan:

Fans in Pakistan can watch the game live on channels like PTV Sports, A Sports HD, and Ten Sports and also watch it online on websites and apps like tapmad, Tamasha, and myco.

The official links to watch the Champions Trophy 2025 will be available on their websites and apps.

India:

Fans in India can watch the games live on Disney+ Hotstar and Star Sports Network.

Australia, UK, and the US:

Fans can watch the action live on major sports networks such as Fox Sports in Australia, Sky Sports in the UK, and Willow TV in the US, which are expected to broadcast the tournament.

Additionally, apps linked to these networks will likely offer the opportunity to stream the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 live on mobile phones and other digital devices.

Pakistan captain, Mohammad Rizwan said, “A global event has come to Pakistan after 29 years, so I believe the entire nation is celebrating this historic occasion. There are no doubts about our performance, we have worked hard and learned from our mistakes. We hope that we play well tomorrow Insha’Allah. Our sole focus is on winning the tournament for the country and our people and we hope that we achieve the desired results.”

Pulling this tournament together after an eight-year gap required overcoming several significant hurdles.

It also comes at a critical time in the ongoing debate about the future of ODI cricket, which is struggling to maintain its relevance in an era dominated by the fast-paced excitement of T20s and the traditional appeal of Test matches.

Few cricket events in recent memory have faced such challenges, including enduring geopolitical tensions, resistance from the administrative boards of key participants, and the last-minute uncertainty surrounding the preparedness of venues in the host nation.

Pakistan’s captain, Mohammad Rizwan, expressed his excitement, saying, “A global event is returning to Pakistan after 29 years, and I believe the entire nation is celebrating this historic moment. We have no doubts about our performance – we’ve worked hard and learned from our mistakes. We hope to perform well tomorrow, Insha’Allah. Our only focus is on winning the tournament for our country and our people, and we hope to achieve the results we desire.”

Pakistan enters the tournament as the defending champions, having defeated India in the final of the 2017 edition, under the leadership of Sarfaraz Ahmed. Fakhar Zaman was named Player of the Final for his stunning 114 off 106 balls, while Hasan Ali was awarded Player of the Tournament for his exceptional performance, taking 13 wickets in five matches.

Pakistan struggled to make an impact in their recent encounters against New Zealand and South Africa in the tri-series. The Kiwis won all their matches, emerging victorious to claim the trophy. However, the series was primarily a preparatory exercise, designed to help teams acclimatize to the conditions in Pakistan. The big question now is whether New Zealand will maintain their winning momentum, or if Pakistan will use their home advantage to turn things around and perform well in the upcoming tournament.

For the first time in 29 years, Pakistan is hosting an ICC event. Over the past two decades, the country has faced numerous challenges, particularly following the 2009 terror attack on the Sri Lankan team in Pakistan. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has asserted that the country is as safe as any other for sporting events. However, the validity of these claims will be tested in the weeks ahead.