Dubai, February 23, 2025: Pakistan’s hopes of reaching the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-finals have taken a severe blow after back-to-back defeats in their first two group-stage matches. The defending champions suffered a 60-run loss to New Zealand in Karachi, which also significantly impacted their net run rate. On Sunday in Dubai, they endured another setback, losing to arch-rivals India. As a result, Pakistan sits at the bottom of the Group A standings with zero points and just one match remaining.
Despite their poor start, Pakistan is not yet officially eliminated, however, their qualification chances now hinge on a series of favorable results from other teams.
For Pakistan to reach the semi-finals, two key results must go their way:
- Bangladesh and India must defeat New Zealand in their upcoming matches. If this happens, New Zealand will finish the group stage with two points.
- Pakistan must win their final match against Bangladesh by a significant margin to improve their net run rate.
If Pakistan, New Zealand, and Bangladesh all end up with two points each, the team with the best net run rate will advance to the semi-finals alongside India.
However, Pakistan’s fate is not entirely in their hands. If New Zealand wins either of their remaining matches—against Bangladesh or India—Pakistan will be mathematically eliminated, regardless of their performance in the final game.
New Zealand’s next match against Bangladesh is set to take place in Rawalpindi on Monday. If the Kiwis win, Pakistan’s hopes of defending their Champions Trophy title will be officially over before they even step onto the field for their last group-stage fixture.
