The Champions Trophy 2025 started with a thrilling match between Pakistan and New Zealand where the BlackCaps won by 60 runs and brutally thrashed Pakistan.
Despite extensive security measures in place, the memories of the past continue to haunt the nation. This was evident when, just after Pakistan’s captain Mohammad Rizwan won the toss and elected to bowl, a loud noise from passing fighter jets startled both the New Zealand openers and the Karachi crowd. Devon Conway ducked instinctively, unsure of the source of the noise, while a section of the crowd visibly flinched, covering their ears and holding their chests. As one Hindi-language commentator pointed out, “They all got scared because of the loud noise of the jets.”
New Zealand bashed out a resounding 320/5 off their 50 overs, which left Pakistan bowlers reeling under the hammering. Shaheen Afridi was knocked for wicketless 68 runs, and Haris Rauf gave 83 runs and 2 wickets. The most economical one among them was Abrar Ahmed, who scalped 1/47 with his spell. All this being said, still, the Pakistani bowlers couldn’t stop the New Zealand batters from picking up runs without any resistance. In response, Pakistan’s batting had no sense of urgency or purpose. Babar Azam’s half-century (64 from 90 balls) was agonizingly slow, and though Khushdil Shah made a gallant knock of 69 from 49 balls, it was too little, too late to be effective. The Men in Green could not get into gear or develop any significant partnerships, and the required run rate continued to increase as the game wore on.
Also Read: Champions Trophy: Shaheen Shah Afridi And Mohammad Rizwan Get Involved In Heated Argument – WATCH
New Zealand’s bowlers, spearheaded by William O’Rourke and skipper Mitchell Santner, were clinical in their effort, bowling Pakistan out for a sub-par score. Santner and O’Rourke took 3 wickets each, and Pakistan’s pursuit resulted in a 60-run loss.
