Captain Mohammad Rizwan Analyzes Pakistan’s Loss to New Zealand in Champions Trophy 2025

Pakistan’s cricket team captain, Mohammad Rizwan, expressed his thoughts on the team’s 60-run defeat to New Zealand in the opening match of the 2025 Champions Trophy. Rizwan acknowledged that New Zealand had set a target larger than anticipated, stating that the team expected them to score around 260 runs, especially after taking early wickets. However, the partnership between Will Young and Tom Latham changed the course of the match and propelled New Zealand to a higher total.

In a media briefing after the match, Rizwan highlighted that New Zealand played smartly and capitalized on the conditions to post a big score. He mentioned that while the wicket wasn’t easy to bat on initially, the efforts of Young and Latham played a decisive role in the final result.

“We tried our best, but our bowling performance in the final overs wasn’t up to the mark, which allowed them to reach a bigger total,” Rizwan explained. He also noted that Pakistan lost its rhythm twice during the match — first, during the final overs of their bowling spell and later in the batting powerplay. Rizwan pointed out the absence of Fakhar Zaman as a significant blow to the team’s chances.

As the defending champions, Rizwan acknowledged that the pressure was high in this opening game, but stressed that the team would treat the next match as any other. “The match is over, and now we’ll focus on the next one,” he said. Regarding Fakhar Zaman’s injury, Rizwan mentioned that the team was awaiting the results of his scan to understand the severity of the situation.

Pakistan’s next match in the 2025 Champions Trophy is scheduled for February 23, where they will face India in Dubai.