The long wait for an ICC event in Pakistan ended on February 19, with the Pakistan national cricket team and the New Zealand national cricket team taking on each other in the tournament opener of the Champions Trophy 2025, which is in its ninth edition. Pakistan come into the tournament as defending champions with hopes of around 22 crore people wishing for them to become only the second team to win and then defend their title after Australia. ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Points Table Updated: India Move to Top Spot of Group A After 6-Wicket Victory Over Pakistan, New Zealand Slip to Second Place.

However, Pakistan played an appalling match against New Zealand, where the hosts ended up losing the PAK vs NZ CT 2025 Match by 60 runs, which plummeted their net run rate as well. Pakistan's ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign went from bad to worse after losing to India in their second match.

This result now leaves Pakistan in huge trouble but they still are mathematically in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final race. India Beat Pakistan by Six Wickets; Virat Kohli, Bowlers Shine As Men in Blue Inch-Closer to Semi-Finals in ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Here's How Mohammad Rizwan and Co Can Make it to Last Four of Eight-Team Tournament

Pakistan's only remaining match in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is against Bangladesh (February 27). They need to beat Bangladesh and so by a big margin and also expect New Zealand to lose both their remaining matches. New Zealand have two remaining Group A games against Bangladesh (February 24) and India (March 2) and Pakistan will ideally want the Kiwis to suffer heavy defeats in both games.

Should this happen, Pakistan and New Zealand will be tied on points and then Net Run Rate (NRR) will come into the picture. In such a scenario, India qualify for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-finals by winning all three matches. And Pakistan will hope to edge out New Zealand on NRR to go through to the semi-finals.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 20, 2025 10:18 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).