The much-awaited ICC Champions Trophy 2025 started with the Group A match between the hosts and defending champions Pakistan and New Zealand at the National Stadium in Karachi on Wednesday (February 19). New Zealand started the tournament with a 60-run win. 

After Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan chose to field first, New Zealand scored 320/5 in 50 overs, and the hosts replied with 260 all out. Now, we are going through some key records of the tournament opener. 

ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Key Match Stats of Pakistan vs New Zealand

Will Young and Tom Latham guide New Zealand to big total

• New Zealand batters Will Young and Tom Latham hit centuries. It was the fifth time in ICC Champions Trophy history with two centuries in an innings. 
• Tom Latham (118*) became the third wicketkeeper-batter to record a century in ICC Champions Trophy history. The other two names are Zimbabwean Andy Flower (145 vs India in 2002) and Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara (134* vs England in 2013).
• With his 118*, Tom Latham recorded the second highest individual score by a New Zealand batter in ICC Champions Trophy history. The record is 145* by Nathan Astle against the USA at The Oval in the 2004 edition.
• New Zealand scored 320/5 in 50 overs. It was their second highest total in ICC Champions Trophy history. Their record is 347/4 against the USA in the 2004 The Oval match. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s 320/5 was the seventh highest total in ICC Champions Trophy history.
• New Zealand’s 320/5 was the second highest total for a team against the hosts in the ICC Champions Trophy history. The record is 323/8 by England against the hosts South Africa at Centurion during the 2009 edition. 

See Also: New Zealand create ICC Champions Trophy history with twin centuries

Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf had a forgetable outing

• Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf ended with the bowling figures of 10-0-83-2. It was the most runs conceded by a hosts’ bowler in main ICC ODI tournament history (ICC ODI World Cup and ICC Champions Trophy). Previously, English bowler Paul Allott (1/82 against Sri Lanka in the ICC Cricket World Cup 1983), New Zealand bowler Tim Southee (2/82 against West Indies in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015), and English bowler Jake Ball (1/82 against Bangladesh in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017) jointly held the record.
• With his 2 for 83 runs bowling figures, Haris Rauf recorded the second most expensive bowling figures by a Pakistan bowler (Wahab Riaz 8.4-0-87-0 vs India in 2017) and the joint fourth most expensive bowling figures among the overall bowlers in ICC Champions Trophy history. 

Pakistan very slow start

• With 22/2, Pakistan recorded their lowest-ever first 10 overs score in a home ODI.

Khushdil Shah broke Champions Trophy record against New Zealand

• Pakistan batter Khushdil Shah completed his 50 runs in 38 balls. It was the fastest half-century record against New Zealand in ICC Champions Trophy history. English legend Alastair Cook was the previous record holder with a 39-ball fifty during the 2013 edition. 

Pakistan suffered a record defeat

• Pakistan lost the match by 60 runs. It was the largest defeat (by runs) for the hosts in ICC Champions Trophy history. The previous record was South Africa losing by 55 runs against Sri Lanka during the 2009 edition.
• New Zealand have won all their four matches against Pakistan in ICC Champions Trophy history. 

Date: Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Toss: Pakistan won the toss and opted to bowl

Time: 2:30 PM

Venue: National Stadium, Karachi

Pakistan Playing XI: Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Md. Rizwan ( C & WK ), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

New Zealand Playing XI: Devon Conway, Will Young, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham ( wk ) , Glenn Philips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner ( C ) , Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, William ORourke

Pakistan has not had an easy time against New Zealand in the past ten days, losing three successive matches in crucial games. The Kiwis have been in great shape, dominating Pakistan in every department. Here's a brief rundown of how events went:

Pakistan in the last 10 days against New Zealand:

8th Feb - NZ beat PAK in Tri series.

14th Feb - NZ beat PAK in Tri series Final.

19th Feb - NZ beat PAK in Champions Trophy.

- THE DOMINATION OF NEW ZEALAND..!!!! pic.twitter.com/C7MB5fuI0B

— Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) February 19, 2025

ALSO SEE: Pat Cummins Withdraws from MLC 2025 Due to Workload and Injury Concerns

February 8, 2025 – Tri-Series Match
The series opened with New Zealand posting a record 331, aided by a fantastic 106* by Glenn Phillips. Pakistan resisted with Fakhar Zaman's 84 but fell short and were bowled out for 252. Black Caps are off to a good start.
February 14, 2025 – Tri-Series Final
Pakistan got an opportunity to get their revenge in the final but their batting failed once again, scoring just 242 runs. New Zealand chased it easily, with Tom Latham and Daryl Mitchell guiding them to a five-wicket win.
February 19, 2025 – Champions Trophy Group Match
The biggest stage, but the same outcome. New Zealand maintained their winning streak against Pakistan, claiming another win and showing their dominance.
The Takeaway
Three losses, three games – it has not been a good period for Pakistan. New Zealand, on the other hand, have demonstrated why they are amongst the most consistent sides in world cricket. Pakistan will have to regroup and return stronger in their upcoming games.

New Zealand start the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in strong fashion as they beat the hosts and defending champions Pakistan by 60 runs at the National Stadium in Karachi in the Group A contest. 

The ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy started on Wednesday (February 19) after Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan chose to bowl first. While New Zealand scored 320/5 in 50 overs on a tricky pitch, Pakistan were all out for 260 runs in 47.2 overs. 

See Also: A Low Profiled Seemed Australia Is Also Too Dangerous

Will Young and Tom Latham scored centuries, Glenn Phillips fired Pak bowlers

New Zealand openers Will Young and Devon Conway produced a 39-run partnership for the first wicket, where Young was excellent. Although, Kane Williamson (1) lost his early after Conway's dismissal for 10 runs, and Daryl Mitchell was also out for 10 runs, Young and Tom Latham batted sincerely. They had hardly any hiccups to build up a solid partnership that set a strong foundation for the Blackcaps. 

Young and Latham had a 118-run partnership for the fourth wicket, where Young completed his fourth ODI century in 107 balls. Before his dismissal, the Kiwi opener scored 107 off 113 balls with 12 fours and one six. Latham then get another solid partner Glenn Phillips. 

While Latham controlled the mid innings, Phillips took his time to get settled down as the no.6 batter scored 17 off first 21 balls. Ultimately, they had a game-changing 125-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Latham completed his eighth ODI hundred in 95 balls, while Phillips completed his 50 runs in 34 balls. At his dismissal on the fourth ball of the final over, Phillips scored 61 off 39 balls with three fours and four sixes. Wicketkeeper-batter Latham scored 118 not out off 104 balls with the help of 10 fours and three sixes, while the Blackcaps added 113 runs in the last 10 overs. 

Among the Pakistan bowlers, Naseem Shah (2/63) and Haris Rauf (2/83) bagged two wickets each. 

Pakistan started poorly, and it cost the game 

Pakistan had a poor start as the New Zealand pacers were tight enough to restrict the hosts to just 22/2 at the end of the first powerplay. Due to his on-field injury in the first over of the match, Fakhar Zaman was off the field for his treatment and returned on the field later, and he couldn't bat for the first 25 minutes of Pakistan innings. Saud Shakeel's (6) forced opening didn't work, and captain Mohammad Rizwan (3) came to bat just about the 20th minute of the inning, and he was out cheaply on the final ball of the 10th over, majorly thanks to Glenn Phillips' stunning catch.

While Babar Azam wasn't scoring fluently, injured Fakhar Zaman couldn't run, and those things made the situationings but cheaply lost wicket on the final ball of the powerplay, thanks to n more difficult for the defending champions. While Fakhar was out for fighting 24 runs, in-form Salman Agha once again showed his calibre at the pressure situation by scoring 42 off 28 balls with six fours and one six. Babar and Salman had a 58-run partnership for the fourth wicket. 

Babar completed his 50 runs in 81 balls and later tried to fire up but lost his wicket after scoring 64 off 90 balls with six fours and one six. Khusdil Shah only showed the fighting battle in the innings as he slammed 69 off 49 balls with 10 fours and one six, but the game was already gone from them. Lower-order batters Shaheen Shah Afridi (14), Naseem Shah (13), and Haris Rauf (19) added some good runs which showed the top-order batters that the situation would be different with their positive intents.  

Among the New Zealand bowlers, Will O’Rourke (3/47) and Mitchell Santner (3/66) bagged three wickets each, and Matt Henry (2/25) got two wickets. 

For his impressive batting, Tom Latham won the Player of the Match award.

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 starts on February 19 in Karachi after a long, long time e. Pakistan was scheduled to host the tournament of this standing of the International Cricket Council. The debut game of the championship, held at the home venue between Pakistan and New Zealand, witnessed an unprecedented poor turnout of viewers at the National Stadium, much of which shocked a former English cricket captain turned renowned TV host and many sports watchers alike.

Empty stands in a big tournament? 🤔🏟️

Former England skipper Michael Vaughan is surprised by the lack of crowd in the Champions Trophy 2025 opener, despite hosts Pakistan playing. 🇵🇰🏏#MichaelVaughan #PAKvNZ #ODIs #Sportskeeda pic.twitter.com/PjRI74mkV8

— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) February 19, 2025

Empty in a Big Tournament
Pakistan is famous for its ardent cricket followers, and with the Champions Trophy being hosted on home ground for the first time since 1996, there were high hopes of a full stadium. But as the defending champions took to the field, gaping areas of vacant seats in the stands raised doubts about the organization of the tournament and fan participation.
Taking to Twitter, Vaughan was surprised by the crowd, pointing out an unexpected scene as what ought to have been a grand show. Empty half of a stadium for a high-grossing ICC event, particularly when Pakistan is playing, has seen citizens online discuss potential explanations for the poor turnout.

ALSO SEE: Players felt fear after seeing an airplane in the sky during the Champions Trophy.

Can Improve the Attendance
With the tournament just getting underway, there is optimism that attendance will increase in the upcoming games, particularly when Pakistan plays India in a match that always guarantees high ratings and full houses. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the organizers of the event might also have to take action to ensure that attendance is increased and that the Champions Trophy provides the crackling atmosphere that cricket viewers expect.
For the time being, the presence of vacant seats in Karachi has raised an eyebrow, and Michael Vaughan's response only fuels the increasing debate surrounding the Champions Trophy 2025's attendance.

Hosts and defending champions Pakistan have got a major blow in the first over of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 as their ICC Champions Trophy 2017 Final hero suffered an injury on the field. 

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 started with the Group A match between Pakistan and New Zealand at the National Stadium in Karachi on Wednesday (February 19) afternoon. Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan chose to field first after winning the toss.  

As expected Shaheen Shah Afridi delivered the first over of the tournament while Will Young opened the innings along with his partner Devon Conway. Afridi delivered the first ball to Young which resulted in a dot ball. On the second ball of the tournament, Young drove Afridi’s fuller and wider delivery to the cover and ran for three runs. 

See Also: Afghanistan’s Oldest and Youngest Players Set for Champions Trophy 2025 Glory

Fakhar Zaman injured

Fakhar Zaman ran to save a boundary but during his fielding, he was injured. He pulled up and immediately signaled for medical attention. He seemed not ok as he went off the field and Kamran Ghulam replaced him on the field. Fakhar was holding his lower back. His injury details will be known soon.

Fakhar Zaman Injury #iccchampionstrophy2025 pic.twitter.com/OUMQjknTr2

— yogendracrick (@cricketlover672) February 19, 2025

Fakhar Zaman recorded his first ODI century during the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 Final win

If the injury concern becomes serious, it will be very bad news for the defending champions as the 34-year-old left-handed top-order batter is known for his powerful strikes. He was the hero of the Pakistan team when they beat the defending champions India in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 Final to lift the trophy for the first time. It was his first ODI century as he scored 114 off 106 balls that powered Pakistan to manage a total of 338/4, and they won by 180 runs.    

The Champions Trophy returns after eight years to give ODI Cricket some substance. ODIs have been minimal in the last few years and that is where the tournament will have a lot of significance. The tournament also marks the return of ICC Events in Pakistan. Pakistan, proud hosts, start the tournament and they will be wary of New Zealand who went past them well in the Tri-series before the tournament. New Zealand comes in with a good sense of Pakistan's conditions. They are without senior bowlers though with Matt Henry all that remains as New Zealand lose Ferguson to injury as well. Pakistan though will be happy with their line-up. Mohammad Rizwan is in pretty good form, but the opening partnership could have some work done to it.

PAK vs NZ Match Details

Date: February 19th, 2025

Time:  2:30 PM IST

Venue: Karachi

Pakistan vs New Zealand Weather Report

Clear weather and a nice evening is expected for the game.

PAK vs NZ Pitch Report

Average Score Batting First in the last five games: 302

Average Score Batting Second in the last five games: 268

Wins Batting First in the last five games: 3

Wins Batting Second in the last five games: 2

Karachi is on the higher scoring side but that could be a sign of things to come. Batting first has worked well in the last few games with the pitch more two-paced towards the end as the ball gets softer.

See Also: New Zealand Gets Another Setback Before Champions Trophy

Pakistan vs New Zealand Head to Head

PAK vs NZ Predicted Playing XI

NZ Playing XI

Rachin Ravindra/ Will Young, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, Nathan Smith, Will O Rourkee, Matt Henry

PAK Playing XI

Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khusdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed 

See Also: Champions Trophy 2025: PAK vs NZ Dream11 Prediction 1st Match Fantasy Cricket Tips, Probable Playing XI

Pakistan vs New Zealand Key Players

Matt Henry

Matt Henry is the only one remaining from a class of senior pacers. He is still pretty sharp with the new ball and will be looking for whatever purchase is available in Karachi.

Fakhar Zaman

Pakistan has a habit of bringing in players for specific tournaments. The move pays off occasionally and Fakhar Zaman looks to be one promising move. He was their star in the lat edition with a century in the final and he knows how to push the game on his own. 

PAK vs NZ Match Tips

Pakistan may be the home side but New Zealand are generally a side which can shake things up in tournaments. They have the mental boost of beating Pakistan in the tri-series final and will be supercharged.

Match Prediction: New Zealand Will Win the Match

PAK vs NZ Match Preview

The ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 will begin on February 19, 2025, with the inaugural match between Pakistan and New Zealand in Karachi. The match is extremely anticipated, particularly following New Zealand's recent victory in Pakistan during the ODI Tri-Series final on February 14, 2025, where New Zealand won by chasing out a target of 243 with 28 balls and 5 wickets to spare. Pakistan, the reigning champions, will host their first-ever global cricket tournament since 1996, with the UAE serving as a neutral venue.

PAK vs NZ Match Details

Pakistan vs New Zealand – 1st Match, Champions Trophy 2025

Venue: National Stadium Karachi, Karachi

Date & Time: 19th February 2025 at 02:30 PM IST 

Live Streaming: Disney+Hotstar

PAK vs NZ Venue Stats

PAK vs NZ Pitch Report

The National Stadium in Karachi is known for its batter-friendly surfaces. The players should anticipate an inline pace and bounce all through the entire game. There should also be something in it for slower bowlers and spinners with sufficient turns to create havoc, especially later on. 

PAK vs NZ Weather Report

Temperatures will approach 30 degrees Celsius, with high humidity.

PAK vs NZ Last Five Matches

PAK vs NZ Head-to-Head Stats

Injury News

No Injury. Will be added when there is an update.

Also Read: WPL 2025: UPW vs DCW Dream11 Prediction 6th Match Fantasy Cricket Tips, Probable Playing XI

PAK vs NZ Probable Playing XIs:

New Zealand Probable Playing XIs

Will Young, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Jacob Duffy, Nathan Smith, William O’Rourke

Pakistan Probable Playing XIs

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

Topmost Picks for PAK vs NZ Dream11 Prediction:

Top Picks – Pakistan

• Mohammad Rizwan – He has scored over 2500 ODI runs. His leadership and batting abilities have been critical in guiding the team through numerous international challenges.
• Shaheen Shah Afridi – Shaheen Afridi has taken 5 wickets in two games while keeping his economy at 7.70. The twenty-four-year-old pacer has taken 20 wickets in only nine games against New Zealand.

Top Picks – New Zealand

• Kane Williamson – He is a right-handed batter known for his graceful stroke play and tactical brilliance among cricket's top players. He has more than 7000 ODI runs.
• Michael Bracewell –  Michael Bracewell, an all-rounder with both batting and bowling abilities, brings equalize to the squad. As the batter, Bracewell has two ODI centuries.

Suggested Playing XI N0.1 for Pakistan vs New Zealand Dream11 Team:

Mohammad Rizwan, Devon Conway(VC), Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mitchell Santner, Salman Agha(C), Shaheen Afridi, Matt Henry, Naseem Shah

Suggested Playing XI N0.2 for Pakistan vs New Zealand Dream11 Team:

Mohammad Rizwan(VC), Devon Conway, Kane Williamson(C), Daryl Mitchell, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mitchell Santner, Salman Agha, Shaheen Afridi, Matt Henry, Naseem Shah

Captain and Vice-Captain Options:

Captain – Salman Agha, Kane Williamson

Vice-captain – Devon Conway, Mohammad Rizwan

Wicketkeeper – Mohammad Rizwan

PAK vs NZ Probable Winners:

The home team boasts a number of world-class ODI cricketers, but they have struggled to produce positive results against their opponents. New Zealand, on the other hand, has seen some fantastic results from a collaborative effort. Their strength has stemmed from the team dynamic, with an array of players stepping up at various stages. Considering the team combination, New Zealand is expected to win this match.

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will start on February 19, 2025. Fans of cricket all over the globe are looking forward to seeing their favorite teams face each other in this elite competition. The event will host major cricketing nations, which will ensure exciting games and heated rivalries. Live coverage from several platforms will mean that viewers get to enjoy good-quality broadcasts in different languages, making the experience smooth and effortless.

CHAMPIONS TROPHY GROUPS

Group A: Pakistan (hosts), India, New Zealand, Bangladesh

Group B: Australia, England, South Africa, Afghanistan

Notable Things

• Tournament Start Date: February 19, 2025
• India's First Match: February 20, 2025 (India vs Bangladesh)
• India vs Pakistan Clash: February 23, 2025

First match: Pakitan vs New Zeland

LIVE STREAMING DETAILS

ALSO READ:PAK vs NZ Today Match Prediction – Who Will Win? | Match 01, ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Preview & Analysis

India Champions Trophy Squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy

•  Coach: Gautam Gambhir
• Best performance: Champions (2002, 2013)

The New Zealand cricket team has given a solid threatening message to every team for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, as the Blackcaps won the ODI tri-series after beating the hosts Pakistan in the Final of the tournament.

In the Final of the ODI tri-series at the National Stadium in Karachi, Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan chose to bat first. While Pakistan scored 242 all out, New Zealand comfortably chased down the target in 45.2 overs after losing five wickets. 

See Also: ICC Champions Trophy 2025 – Predicted Playing XIs for India and Pakistan match

New Zealand bowlers were outstanding

Pakistan didn’t have a good start in the  Final as they only managed to score 54 runs when they lost the first three wickets. The previous-match heroes, where Pakistan successfully chased down the 353-run target against South Africa to qualify for the Final, skipper Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha had an 88-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

While Rizwan scored 46 runs, Agha scored 45 runs. Tayyab Tahir fought hard with 38 runs, while Faheem Ashraf (22) and Naseem Shah (19) had some useful contributions in the lower order.

Among the New Zealand bowlers, Will O’Rourke bagged four wickets (4/43), while Michael Bracewell (2/38) and captain Mitchell Santner (2/20) got two wickets each. Skipper Santner was incredible with the ball as his bowling figures were 10-1-20-2.

New Zealand batting showed the value of teamwork

At chasing, although the opener Will Young (5) was dismissed in the second over, all other batters made crucial contributions to chase the target comfortably. Opener Devon Conway scored 48 runs, while the former skipper Kane Williamson scored 34 runs. Daryl Mitchell (57) and Tom Latham (56) then produced valuable 50s, while Glenn Phillips (20*) and Michael Bracewell (2*) did the finishing job successfully.

Among the Pakistan bowlers, only Naseem Shah managed to pick up more than one wicket as his bowling figures were 8-0-43-2. 

New Zealand won all three matches of the successful ODI tri-series, including beating the hosts Pakistan twice. While Will O’Rourke won the Player of the Match award in the tournament Final, where Blackcaps lifted the trophy, Pakistan cricketer Salman Agha won the Player of the Series award for scoring 219 runs and picking up one wicket in the tournament.