Match 1 of the Champions Trophy 2025 pits Pakistan against New Zealand at Karachi’s National Stadium.
In the just finished Tri-Nation series final, the two teams faced off against one another, with the latter winning. Five days later, they cross paths once more, with the high stakes and highly sought-after title still the ultimate objective.
Mohammad Rizwan, the captain of Pakistan, chose to bowl first after winning the toss. Haris Rauf has returned to the team after suffering a strained lower chest muscle. However, Mitchell Santner, the captain of New Zealand, said that Matt Henry has returned to the team, while Rachin Ravindra has been benched to recuperate from an injury he suffered during the Tri-Series.
“We’ll start with bowling. I want to take advantage of the fact that dew comes in later, as I’ve seen in the last couple of games. We will have a little more pressure because we are the reigning winners, but we will approach it similarly to the last tri-series. It will be fantastic to play in Pakistan as well. During the toss, Rizwan said, “Haris Rauf is back in because he’s fit again.”
“We have a job to do with the bat, but the dew gets on later.” It appears to be a nice wicket. We are playing some excellent cricket and have a good mix of young players and experienced players. We know each other well since we’ve had the good fortune to play these men both at home and away. The most crucial thing is to adjust to the circumstances in Karachi. Although the injuries we’ve sustained are regrettable, we are confidence in the boys we have out here. During the toss, Santner remarked, “Matt Henry returns in for us.”
Teams:
New Zealand (Playing XI): Devon Conway, Will Young, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner(c), Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, William ORourke.
Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (w/c), and Fakhar Zaman make up Pakistan’s playing eleven.
India
