The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is just a few days away from us. The 50-over event is returning after eight years, with Pakistan playing the hosts.
Fans are eagerly waiting for the tournament to get underway. But do you know when the Champions Trophy 2025 will kick off? Which teams will play in the first match and where?
Here’s a rundown on the first match scheduled in the Champions Trophy 2025, including the teams, captains, and venue.
When will the Champions Trophy 2025 start?
After quite a back and forth, the ICC finalised the dates for the Champions Trophy 2025. And according to the confirmed schedule, the first match of the Champions Trophy 2025 will take place on February 19.
The eight best ODI teams will be in the hunt to claim the Champions Trophy hosted by Pakistan. UAE’s Dubai will also host a few games, especially those featuring India.
Which venue will host the first match of the Champions Trophy 2025?
Karachi’s National Stadium will host the opening match of the 50-over tournament. The stadium has undergone massive changes to ensure fans enjoy the action with comfort.
Which teams will play the first match in the Champions Trophy 2025?
The tournament hosts and previous champions Pakistan will open the ninth edition of the Champions Trophy. They will take on New Zealand in the first match.
Both teams are part of Group A, which also includes India and Bangladesh. Pakistan will be keen to start their campaign on a winning note and eventually defend their title.
Read Also:- Champions Trophy 2025 New Zealand Squad
Who are the captains of both teams?
While Pakistan haven’t yet announced their squad, Mohammad Rizwan is most likely to lead the team. This will be his first ICC event as skipper.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appointed the keeper-batter as their new ODI captain in late 2024. He will have a golden opportunity to lead Pakistan at home in an ICC event.
On the other hand, New Zealand have handed the reigns in Mitchell Santner’s hands. After Kane Williamson left the white-ball captaincy in 2024, New Zealand were looking for his successor.
Santner has had decent captaincy experience, leading the Black Caps in a few bilateral series. Just like his Pakistani counterpart, this will be Santner’s first ICC tournament as a captain.
And finally, how do the squads look like?
As mentioned earlier, Pakistan haven’t yet revealed their squad for the Champions Trophy 2025. But experienced players like Rizwan, Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Haris Rauf are expected to turn up for them.
New Zealand, though, will head into the first match with a reliable squad. They have retained a lot of players who featured in the 2023 ODI World Cup played in India.
New Zealand have a strong batting core with Kane Williamson, Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Raching Ravindra, and Daryl Mitchell in the side. Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry will spearhead the pace attack, while skipper Santner will lead his spinners.
Here are the squads of Pakistan and New Zealand:
Pakistan: Pakistan Squad: Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Kamran Ghulam, Khushdil Shah, Salman Agha, Mohammad Rizwan (c) (wk), Usman Khan (wk), Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Muhammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen Afridi.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson, Mark Chapman, Rachin Ravindra, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Nathan Smith, Devon Conway (wk), Tom Latham (wk), Jacob Duffy, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, and Will O’Rourke.
