Mitchell Santner and his New Zealand side will meet Bangladesh in the Champions Trophy 2025 Group A match scheduled to be held on February 24, Monday. The sixth match of the ongoing eight-team ICC tournament will be played at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The Kiwis have just edged past Pakistan by 60 runs in the tournament opener at National Stadium, Karachi on February 19, whereas the entry of the Bangladeshi team 6 wickets down in the opposing pitch against India at Dubai International Cricket Stadium came on February 20.
The match against the Black Caps in Rawalpindi is a must-win for the Bangladeshi team, for if Najmul Hossain Shanto’s men do lose versus New Zealand, then they will be out of the Champions Trophy 2025. And that should end, and not just for Bangladesh; also for Pakistan’s defence of the Champions Trophy title.
How so? New Zealand have 2 points already from one match played so far in Champions Trophy 2025 while Bangladesh registered none from one, and Pakistan sit at 0 points from two matches. So, if New Zealand win on Monday, they will have 4 points from 2 matches while Bangladesh will, alongside Pakistan, remain at 0 points from 2 matches.
If on Monday Bangladesh defeats New Zealand but loses against Pakistan on Thursday, then they will place their hopes to India winning against New Zealand on Sunday because if India wins in Dubai, there are three teams, namely Bangladesh, New Zealand and Pakistan, with two points each from three matches and the team with better net run rate will join India in the semifinals.
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At present, relatively straightforward qualification scenario exists for New Zealand. Victory – however narrow – over Bangladesh on Monday will seal a place in the semifinals for them at the Champions Trophy 2025.
In the event of losing to Bangladesh, they must pray for a Pakistan victory over Bangladesh on Thursday in Rawalpindi, then beat India on Sunday in Dubai, and, in that case, Kiwis would direct qualify.
But should they lose both to Bangladesh and India and Pakistan beat Bangladesh on Thursday, the team with the better net run rate as among New Zealand, Bangladesh, and Pakistan will earn a semifinal place with India.
The Champions Trophy will not be won by New Zealand if both their remaining Group A matches are lost, while Bangladesh defeats them and later wins or draws against Pakistan in Rawalpindi on Thursday.
