Champions Trophy Begins: Pakistan vs New Zealand

Cricket Fever is Back! Champions Trophy Returns!

Get ready for cricket drama! The awaited Champions Trophy is back today. After seven long years, it’s making a grand return. Pakistan is hosting and will battle New Zealand first. The match will be at the newly amazing Karachi Stadium.

ODIs Try to Shine Again

Cricket’s world has been changing lately. Fast T20 games grabbed much attention. But now, One Day Internationals are looking to regain love. Fans are eager for classic ODI excitement again. Remember 2017? Pakistan, led by Sarfaraz Ahmed, crushed India in the final. A lot has happened in cricket since then.

Pakistan’s Big Win: Hosting Again!

This tournament is huge for Pakistan. It’s a proud moment for the country and their cricket board. Think back, it wasn’t easy to get teams to play in Pakistan. Safety worries meant many “home” games were played in the UAE. After the 2009 Sri Lanka team attack, tours stopped. Zimbabwe bravely visited first in 2015, restarting things. Then, a World XI came in 2017. After that Sri Lanka, West Indies, and others toured. Even England, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa have played there now.

Hosting a Major Event After 29 Years!

With this Champions Trophy, Pakistan reaches a milestone. It is hosting a big ICC tournament for the first time in 29 years! The last one was way back in 1996, the ODI World Cup.

Pakistan vs New Zealand Kick Off!

The Champions Trophy adventure starts with Pakistan against New Zealand. Team India has even arrived in Dubai to gear up. But first, all eyes are on Karachi.

Can Pakistan Beat the Kiwis?

In the opening match, Pakistan faces a tough New Zealand team. Recently, New Zealand has often had the upper hand. They also know the conditions well. Since 2019, they’ve played more ODIs in Pakistan than anyone else, a total of 11! Just five days ago, New Zealand beat Pakistan in Karachi. This was in the ODI tri-series final. So, they will be feeling confident.

Past World Cup Clashes

However, don’t count Pakistan out! In the 2019 and 2023 ODI World Cups, Pakistan beat New Zealand. This shows they can rise to the occasion.

STATS Corner

Let’s look at their Champions Trophy history. They’ve met three times before, in 2000, 2006, and 2009. New Zealand won every single time. Overall in ODIs, it’s close. In their last 11 matches, the Kiwis won five, and Pakistan won six. But, if you look at just their last four games, New Zealand won three.

What Captains are Saying

Pakistan’s captain, Mohammad Rizwan, shared his excitement. “A global event is in Pakistan after 29 years! The whole nation is celebrating. We’ve worked hard and learned. We hope to play well tomorrow, Insha’Allah.” He added, “Our only goal is to win for our country and people.”

New Zealand’s captain, Tom Latham, also spoke. “The opening game is special, especially against the hosts. Everyone in our squad has had game time recently. We played well in the tri-series and handled pressure. We want to keep that going.”

Rachin Ravindra: Will He Play?

Latham gave an update on Rachin Ravindra. He had a head injury on February 8th. “He will train tonight. Then we’ll know more. His recovery is going well, but we must be careful with head injuries. We are following protocols.”

Haris Rauf’s Fitness Check

Pakistan had worries about Haris Rauf. He got injured in the tri-series. Rizwan reassured fans. “Yesterday Rauf bowled 6-8 overs. Before that, he bowled at 60%. Today he’s bowling with full rhythm. He worked hard in the gym too. He says he feels no problem. I hope he is fully fit.”

Watch it Live! Pakistan vs New Zealand

The match starts at 2:30 PM IST. You can watch it on JioStar, Star Sports, and Sports18 channels. It will also be live streamed on JioHotstar. Don’t miss the cricket action!