Pakistan vs New Zealand Champions Trophy 2025 highlights: New Zealand beat Pakistan by 60 runs in Karachi

DRINKS BREAK!

New Zealand's batting is showing stability through the effective partnership of Will Young and Tom Latham. Their focus would be on preserving wickets whilst aiming to build a substantial total exceeding 300 runs.

FOUR! FOUR! Tom Latham is dealing in boundaries at the moment. He smashes Khushdil Shah for two boundaries and both the shot comes off brilliant sweeps.

NEW ZEALAND 148/3 in 30 overs vs PAKISTAN

FOUR! Will Young plays this with soft hands. He knows that the long off is inside the circle. He lofts this towards long off. A couple of bounces and the ball hits the fence.

NEW ZEALAND 135/3 in 28.3 overs vs INDIA

FOUR! A bit down the leg from Naseem Shah. Will Young stays back and flicks this nicely towards backward square leg for a boundary. He moves into 80s now. Is he going to be first centurion of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025?

The Pakistan Cricket Board has confirmed that opener Fakhar Zaman is being assessed for a muscular sprain after he walked off the field just two deliveries into Pakistan’s Champions Trophy opener against New Zealand at the National Stadium.

“Fakhar Zaman is being assessed and examined for a muscular sprain, and further updates will be provided in due course,” the PCB said in a statement.

Pakistan’s title defence got off to an unfortunate start, as Zaman appeared to suffer a lower-back injury while sprinting to cut off a boundary in the opening over.

New Zealand’s Will Young had driven Shaheen Afridi through the covers, prompting a full-tilt chase from the left-hander.

Though Zaman managed to stop the ball and relay it to Babar Azam, he immediately signaled discomfort and walked off with the team physio.

Salman Agha to Tom Latham. The left hander plays a brilliant sweep shot towards deep square leg fence. Superb batting from the New Zealand skipper. New Zealand need a big stand from Latham and Young.

NEW ZEALAND 110/3 in 24 overs vs PAKISTAN

FOUR! Well-balanced shot from Will Young. A very well use of the wrist from him. He sends Shaheen Shah Afridi towards deep mid wicket fence.

FOUR! What a shot from Will Young. He stays back, picks the length early and smashes the ball towards square leg fence. The fielder in the deep runs but he is way away from the ball. Superb shot from him.

NEW ZEALAND 86/3 in 19 overs vs PAKISTAN

FIFTY!

Will Young brings up his 11th ODI half century off 56 balls. What a knock from the right hander. New Zealand need a big knock from Young today. He is looking in superb touch at the moment.

NEW ZEALAND 78/3 in 17.1 overs vs PAKISTAN

WICKET! Haris Rauf dismisses Daryl Mitchell for 10 runs. He looked frustrated after scoring 10 from 24 deliveries. A poor shot selection proves costly! Rauf delivers from over the wicket with a back of length ball targeting middle stump. Mitchell attempts to pull, aiming to execute a tennis-style shot groundwards. However, the extra bounce deceives him, and he miscues straight to mid-on where Shaheen Afridi advances to complete a clean reverse cup catch close to the ground.


NEW ZEALAND 73/3 in 16.2 overs vs PAKISTAN

SIX! Short of length delivery from Haris Rauf. Will Young welcomes the pacer with a huge six over deep square leg fence. Superb shot from the New Zealander.

0 0 0 0 0 2 - As a tight two-run fifth over from Naseem Shah comes to an end, New Zealand have put 50 runs on the board in 11 overs for the loss of Devon Conway and Kane Williamson.

The Kiwis started positively but then Abrar Ahmed and Naseem landed two quick blows.

Will Young and Daryl Mitchell are now in the middle and both have so far added 10 runs together for the third wicket.

Abrar will continue from the other end for Pakistan.

Will Young 32*
Daryl Mitchell 3*
Partnership: 8(11)
Abrar Ahmed 1/7
Naseem Shah 1/22

OUT! Second wicket for Pakistan as Naseem Shah gets rid of Kiwi veteran Kane Williamson.

A ripper from Naseem as he bowls a back of length delivery just outside off stump. The ball seamed away after pitching as a tentative Williamson was drawn into the shot.

The ball takes the outside edge of Williamson's bat as Rizwan dives low in front to complete a fine catch.

Williamson walks back for 1.

NZ 40/2 in 8.1 overs

OUT! Bowled! First wicket of Champions Trophy 2025!

A ripper from Abrar Ahmed and New Zealand suffer Devon Conway blow in the 8th over.

Pakistanis rejoice as Conway is bamboozled for 10.

It was a carrom ball from Abrar and Conway misjudged it terribly.

It slid with the angle, went past the outside edge of Conway's bat and crashed into his off stump.

NZ 39/1 in 7.3 overs

FOUR! Will Young ends third Shaheen Afridi over with a lovely boundary through the off side.

Afridi bowls a good length delivery outside off and Young waited to play it late.

Hits it to the left of backward-point fielder as the ball races to the fence.

Young gets his second boundary.

NZ 30/0 in 5 overs

FOUR! Clipped for four behind the stumps! Will Young cracks his first boundary of the contest. Naseem goes full and strays into Young's pads as he comfortably flicks the ball to fine-leg fence.

NZ 21/0 n 3.1 overs

FOUR! Devon Conway opens his account with a boundary on the on-side.

Naseem Shah goes tad fuller, across on stumps and Conway pushed the ball, getting a thick inside edge.

The ball goes through between mid-wicket and square-leg fielders and races to the fence.

NZ 8/0 in 1.5 overs

0 3 0 0 0 0 - Shaheen Afridi starts off with a tidy three-run first over. Will Young is off the mark for the Kiwis. Naseem Shah to share the second new ball with Shaheen from the other end. A couple of slips in place for Naseem as well.

NZ 3/0 in 1 over

Devon Conway and Will Young are in the middle to begin the innings for New Zealand. Shaheen Afridi to start the proceedings for Pakistan. A couple of slips in place for Afridi. Young on strike. Here we go!

Pakistan XI: Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan(w/c), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

New Zealand 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

New Zealand captain Tom Latham: "The dew gets on later, but we have a job to do with the bat. Looks like a good wicket. We have a good mix of experience and new faces, and are playing some good cricket as well. We have been lucky to play these guys home and away, so we know each other well. What's most important is getting used to the conditions here in Karachi. The injuries we've had are unfortunate, but are confident with the boys that we have out here. Matt Henry comes back in for us."

Pakistan skipper Rizwan: "We will bowl first. Seen the last couple of matches dew comes in later, so want to maximise on that. We are the defending champions so will be in a bit more pressure, but we will treat it like the previous tri-series. Playing in Pakistan will be great as well. Haris Rauf is fit again so he's back in."

Pakistan have won the toss in Karachi and have decided to field against New Zealand in the first match of the Champions Trophy 2025.

The off side is 62m for the right hander and the leg side is 67m. The boundary down the ground is longer. The surface is very dry with a lot of cracks. Looks like a good wicket, we have seen mixed results here in terms of run chases. An ideal target has to be around that 300 mark. Spinners will be in the game with the cracks and dry patches in the good length area. Will be important to see how the batters defend the smaller side of the ground.

Wahab Riaz during his pitch report suggests that Karachi will be a "batting paradise", and he's advised the seamers to be disciplined with their back-of-a-length line.

The toss is scheduled for 2 pm IST, with the first ball to be bowled at 2:30 pm. The coin will go up in just about 40 minutes from now. But don't go anywhere, as we continue to build the big opening encounter for you right here. So stay tuned!

Looking at both sides' head-to-head record in the Champions Trophy, both teams squared off against each other in 2000, 2006, and 2009, with the Kiwis emerging victorious on all three occasions. Overall, in the ODIs, Pakistan and New Zealand have been neck-to-neck in their past 11 matches. The Kiwis have won five and lost six; however, in their past four meetings, New Zealand have won thrice.

It's also a monumental day for Pakistan cricket, as the country gets to host it's first ICC tournament since co-hosting the 1996 World Cup, which was nearly three decades (29 years) ago.

Pakistan, who are the defending champions having won the tournament's last edition in 2017, are up against the Kiwis who are entering the Champions Trophy on the back of their ODI tri-series triumph a few days ago, which was incidentally also against Pakistan and at the very same venue -- the National Stadium in Karachi.

It's here - the ICC champions Trophy, for the first time since 2017. The 'Mini World Cup', as the tournament used to be called, is set to once again enthrall the fans while a lot else is at stake during the next three-weeks that will culminate with the champion being crowned and 50-overs cricket getting a renewed push. To bring all that news, updates and live action from on and off the field, Timesofindia.com will be your eyes and ears, besides being present at the ground in Dubai, where India will play all their matches. So let's begin this with the tournament opener today in Karachi. It's Pakistan vs New Zealand.