The first game of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy will be contested between the hosts, Pakistan, and New Zealand at the National Bank Cricket Arena in Karachi.
For the game, here are our preview and predictions.
The defending champions and hosts are coming into this game with more questions than answers. They lost the final of the recent tri-series at home against New Zealand, with issues both in their batting and bowling departments sufficiently apparent.
The form of Pakistan’s batting talisman Babar Azam has to be a cause for concern, with their #3 batter Saud Shakeel also going through a lean patch of form. In recent times, Pakistan have struggled to find a dependable spin bowler and are coming into this tournament with one out-and-out spinner along with a couple of part-time options.
Looking at their seamers, on paper Pakistan are, without a doubt, up there with one of the best pace attacks, though of late their main three seamers—Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Harris Rauf—have been struggling with a variety of problems.
New Zealand, on the other hand, are coming into this tournament on the back of a dominant display in the recent tri-series against Pakistan and South Africa. They won all three games, look settled, and beat Pakistan twice. Barring their openers Will Young and Rachin Ravindra, who have been short on runs, most Kiwi batters have looked in fine form. Their bowling department was also impressive throughout the tri-series, with William O’Rourke, Matt Henry, and Mitchell Santner all contributing.
Looking at the surface in Karachi, Pakistan’s recent game against South Africa saw more than 700 runs scored, while the wicket for the final between New Zealand and Pakistan was two-paced and had something for both batters and bowlers.
However, irrespective of how the wicket behaves, New Zealand have been the stronger of the two sides and should, as a result, register their third consecutive win against Pakistan in this opening encounter of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
Fantasy XI: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Fakhar Zaman, Kane Williamson (vc), Daryl Mitchell, Agha Salman, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Matt Henry, William O’Rourke
Venue: Karachi, Pakistan
Winners Prediction: New Zealand
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