Pakistan will take on New Zealand in the opening match of the Champions Trophy just 5 days after losing the Tri-Series final to the Kiwis last Friday. The venue of the opening encounter is the National Stadium in Karachi, the same one where the Tri-Series final was held and the Black Caps will be filled with confidence.
Champions Trophy 2025, PAK vs NZ LIVE Cricket Score: Watch Here
New Zealand suffered a late blow to the Champions Trophy preparations when they learned that seamer Lockie Ferguson was ruled out from the tournament through injury. Meanwhile, they are also sweating on the fitness of Rachin Ravindra and will also be missing another pacer in Ben Sears. Pakistan, meanwhile, have Haris Rauf back in the squad and will just miss opener Saim Ayub, who was ruled out of the whole tournament a few weeks back.
PAK vs NZ LIVE Cricket Score, Full Scorecard: Watch Here
Here is a look at predicted XI for the Pakistan vs New Zealand match
Pakistan will breathe a sigh of relief with the inclusion of Haris Rauf in their Playing XI after the player had missed the remainder of the Tri-Series due to an injury suffered during the first match between Pakistan and New Zealand. With Pakistan’s pace department coming under criticism, Rauf’s return will no doubt bolster the Men in Green’s chances.
Pakistan vs New Zealand LIVE Match Streaming Online: Know Here
There are concerns in the New Zealand camp about the fitness of batter Rachin Ravindra who had suffered a face injury while fielding against Pakistan in the 1st ODI of the Tri-series. Since that injury, Rachin hasn’t been spotted in the Kiwi kit with New Zealand winning the series without him. Little is know about his status before the Champions Trophy opening match but New Zealand will hope that the talented batter recovers in time.
READ MORE: Stage set in Karachi today, India waits in Dubai as hybrid Champions Trophy kickstarts
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (c&wk), Salman Ali Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf.
New Zealand: Will Young, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson.
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