NZ clinch Champions Trophy opener, Pakistan falls short in chase

English , Snippets , Sports - کھیل اور کھلاڑی , / Wednesday, February 19th, 2025

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RKI Network
Pakistan’s chase of New Zealand’s 321 target fell short as they were bowled out for 260 in the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy at Karachi’s National Stadium.
The match started with an electric atmosphere, marking Karachi’s first ICC tournament since 1996. Pakistan’s skipper, Rizwan, opted to bowl first, expecting dew to play a role later, but it never materialized during Pakistan’s batting innings. New Zealand capitalized on Pakistan’s struggles, with Latham scoring 118* and Young contributing a solid 101, setting a daunting target.
Pakistan’s innings was marred by their failure to rotate the strike efficiently, amassing a staggering 152 dot balls. Fakhar Zaman’s early muscle strain added to their woes. However, cameos from Khushdil (69) and Salman (42) kept the game alive, but it wasn’t enough to chase down the total.
Will O’Rourke was the standout bowler for New Zealand, taking 3 wickets, including those of Rizwan and Saud in the early overs.
With a tough loss, Pakistan now turns its focus to Sunday’s highly anticipated clash with arch-rivals India, where they will need to bounce back to keep their tournament hopes alive.