Champions Trophy 2025 finally kicked off with a match between hosts Pakistan and New Zealand on Wednesday, February 19, at the Karachi National Stadium, where Men in Green lost the game by 60 runs in the chase. This will be the early blow for host team in the mega event. However, Pakistan still has a chance to qualify for the semi-finals.
After losing to the Kiwis, Mohammad Rizwan’s men finished bottom of Group A with a net run rate of -1.200. To qualify for the semi-final, they need to win both their remaining matches in the group stage. Once the group stages are concluded, Pakistan's fate in the Champions Trophy 2025 will be determined according to their group standings.
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However, if the defending champions lose a single match from now on, they will need a lot of permutations and combinations to go in their favour for a place in the last four. Even if they win their other matches, they are not guaranteed that they can qualify for the semis depending on the net run rate of other teams, too.
Moreover, Pakistan also needs to improve its net run rate after losing its first match of the Champions Trophy 2025 against New Zealand.
Qualification Scenarios for Pakistan in Champions Trophy 2025:
If Pakistan loses both remaining matches, they will be knocked out of the tournament. If they win one of the remaining games, then the qualification will depend on the Net Run Rate (NRR) and points of all the teams combined. If they win both their matches against India and Bangladesh, then NRR will be considered.
Win – 2 points.
No result/Abandoned match – 1 point.
Tie – 1 point.
Loss – 0 points.
After the group stage matches conclude, the top two teams with the highest points in both groups will qualify for the semi-finals of the mega event. Pakistan will play its next match against India on Sunday, February 23, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. They will face Bangladesh in their final league game in Rawalpindi on February 27.
Champions Trophy 2025 Semi-Finals:
Semi-finals 1 and 2 will be held on March 4 and 5 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium and the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The venues will be finalised according to India's Group A standings, as India will play all of its matches in Dubai.
