Upset in Champions Trophy as defending champions Pakistan are eliminated; New Zealand and India advance to semifinals

Pakistan, led by Mohammad Rizwan, was eliminated from the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 following New Zealand's victory over Bangladesh by five wickets in their Group A match at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Pakistan's tournament journey came to an end after a disappointing loss to India in a crucial match in Dubai. Their chances of advancing to the semi-finals relied on Bangladesh causing an upset by defeating the in-form New Zealand team.

Given the kind of run New Zealand are in, there was no room for an upset. The BlackCaps hardly broke a sweat and registered their second win of the Champions Trophy.

The defeat also ended Bangladesh’s run in the tournament as India and New Zealand sealed their places in the semi-finals from Group A. The fixture on March 2 between India and New Zealand will determine which team will finish at the top of the group.

India will play their semi-final in Dubai on March 4, while New Zealand will play theirs on March 5 at the Gadaffi Stadium, Lahore.

Pakistan is hosting an ICC event after 29 years. However, the national cricket team failed to convert it into a happy occasion for the fans, as their performance on the field raised several questions.

Pakistan's tournament started on a sour note as the side failed to chase down 321 against New Zealand in Karachi. Babar Azam's show with the bat came under severe scrutiny as he didn't show enough intent with the bat, scoring 64 off 90 balls.

Khushdil Shah and Salman Ali Agha tried their best in the middle. But it was too little too late, and in the end, New Zealand emerged triumphant, putting Pakistan under severe pressure.

The match against India became a must-win. Pakistan already had a dismal record against the arch-rival in ICC events, and the proceedings unfolded in a similar fashion.

Pakistan's dismal show against India

After copping criticism for their performance against New Zealand, one expected Pakistan to show more intent and aggressiveness with both bat and ball. Babar’s initial start hinted at the team returning to the drawing board and looking to make some necessary changes.

However, this new intent did not last long. In the middle-overs, Mohammad Rizwan found it difficult to rotate the strike, which meant that India were always in the game. Wickets fell in a jiffy towards the end, and Pakistan were restricted to just 241.

Virat Kohli then put on a masterclass against an opponent he loves facing, leaving Pakistan, once again, without answers. The pace trioka of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf were hit all around the park. Abrar Ahmed did show some fight as he bowled Shubman Gill through a ripping leg-spinner but that was all to it.

As soon as Pakistan faced a six-wicket loss against India, the writing was on the wall. Even Mohammad Rizwan admitted that the tournament was all but over before Pakistan’s elimination was made official 24 hours later.

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