Pakistan faced an uphill battle while chasing 321 against New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 opener at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi. Fakhar Zaman, who joined Babar Azam at the crease after early setbacks, struggled to find momentum and was eventually dismissed for 24 off 41 balls.
The innings started poorly, with makeshift opener Saud Shakeel departing for just 6 runs. Mohammad Rizwan followed soon after, falling to a spectacular catch by Glenn Phillips, leaving Pakistan at 35/2 in the 13th over. Babar Azam held one end, but Fakhar’s sluggish innings put added pressure on the team’s scoring rate.
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Earlier, New Zealand posted a formidable 320/5, powered by a century from Will Young (107) and a captain’s knock from Tom Latham (118*). Glenn Phillips provided late fireworks with a quick 61 off 39 balls. Pakistan’s bowling attack saw Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf claim two wickets each, while Abrar Ahmed picked up one.
With the required run rate climbing, Pakistan will need a strong middle-order performance to stay in the contest. Babar Azam’s role becomes crucial as the team fights to avoid an early setback in the tournament.
