Champions Trophy: Rawalpindi forecast for PAK-BAN game piles pressure on Pakistan ahead of India face-off
Sports, Cricket: Pakistan lost their tournament opener to New Zealand, and to qualify for the semis, they must beat India and Bangladesh in their remaining two matches.
Pakistan finds itself in hot waters after conceding the chance to pocket two crucial points against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy 2025 opener in Karachi. A 60-run loss at the hands of Kiwis turned out too much to take for the hosts, who next face arch-rivals India in Dubai on Sunday (Feb 23) before taking on Bangladesh in their final league game at the Pindi Stadium in Rawalpindi.
Already struggling for a place in the semis, a loss against the Men in Blue could virtually send them packing four days into their home tournament. Though that’d be a massive blow to the team and the country that celebrated the return of an ICC event to their soil for the first time since 1996, things could get worse should they depend on their result against Bangladesh to cruise ahead.
Also read | Champions Trophy - 'Win at any cost,' PCB chief's strong message to Pakistan Team against India
Per Accuweather, rain might hit the city from February 25 onwards till March 1, with the weather forecast on Thursday (Feb 27) – the match day between Pakistan and Bangladesh, indicating an 84 per cent chance of rain, with 96 per cent cloud cover. If that does happen, Pakistan’s last home game could be washed out, knocking them out of the semis race.
Meanwhile, for Pakistan to ensure they aren’t facing more hiccups in this tournament, not only do they have to beat India comprehensively in Dubai, but they also have to expect other results to fall in their favour. Even if Pakistan emerged victorious against their arch-rivals, they would have to win against Bangladesh to advance to the last four.
India-Pakistan blockbuster tie
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India and Pakistan will face off in this format for the first time since the 2023 ODI World Cup, where the host beat the Men in Green in another one-sided contest. Although India also beat them in next year’s T20 World Cup in the Americas, their record against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy (2-3) showcases a different picture.
Pakistan has lost the previous five contested ODIs against India, with their last win coming during the 2017 Champions Trophy final, when they won by a whopping 180 runs. Ironically, that was the last time a Champions Trophy game was played.
Eight years later, Pakistan plays hosts to this tournament, with seven out of eight participating teams playing their matches in the country; India is the only exception that will play all its matches in Dubai, including the knockouts, should they qualify.
Due to tense political relations between both countries, the Indian Government denied permission to the Indian squad to travel across the border, forcing the PCB to accept the hybrid model.
(With inputs from agencies)