Here, we have two teams in very different predicaments meeting each other, as Bangladesh head into their second match of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy looking to avoid early elimination, while New Zealand know another win will lock in a semi-final spot for them.
Ahead of the sixth match of the Champions Trophy, here are our match preview and predictions.
Bangladesh’s top and middle batting orders had a rough outing in their opening game as they were reeling early on at 35/5 before Jaker Ali and Towhrid Hridoy, both fortunate to remain in the playing XI due to sloppy fielding, bailed Bangladesh out.
In conditions which should suit their batting, the Bangla Tigers have a lot of experience in the likes of Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Mahmudullah. Their bowling unit, however, will be tested against a Kiwi squad who are well-accustomed to the Pakistani conditions, having spent almost a month in the country now. Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman have a ton of experience in these conditions, while Rishad Hossain and Mehidy Hasan Miraz will be the frontline spinners.
The Kiwis, on the other hand, had a near-perfect opening game, with Will Young and Tom Latham’s centuries and Glenn Phillips’s late fireworks powering them to 320. If Mitchell Santner has any doubts at all regarding his batting lineup, it would be over his two veteran batters Devon Conway and Kane Williamson; he will hope the two find some runs before the semis. Santner himself was clinical with the ball, while Will O’Rourke and Matt Henry seem to have formed a formidable opening bowling pair in the absence of Lockie Ferguson.
The sixth game of the Champions Trophy will also see the action move to Rawalpindi, where Bangladesh completed a heroic Test series clean sweep against Pakistan last year. The track will bring about a lot of runs, so we should be in for a high-scoring game, with the spinners set to have a strong showing on a pitch that should bring them a lot of assistance, while the seamers should be threatening with the new ball as well. We have the Kiwis starting as favourites for this encounter given their recent form, squad strength, and comfort with the conditions.
Fantasy XI: Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Mushfiqur Rahim, Glenn Phillips, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mitchell Santner, Mustafizur Rahman, Will O’Rourke
Venue: Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Winners Prediction: New Zealand
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