🏏Champions Trophy: Pakistan vs New Zealand, Match 1, Gr A Karachi🏏 - Page 2

High-scoring Encounter

The Pitch at the National Stadium, Karachi, Pakistan is known for a balanced pitch that offers something for both batters and bowlers. As far as the limited overs format, the pitch will be a bit on the batter’s side as most of them are flat. A high-scoring encounter is anticipated at this venue, much like the recent match at Gaddafi Stadium. Early on, pacers may receive some assistance, but once that fades, the pitch will favour the batters, enabling them to play freely. While spinners might find some grip as the ball gets old, a substantial turn is unlikely.

Average Innings Score

The average 1st innings score of all ODIs played at the National Stadium, Karachi is 237 runs and the average of 2nd innings score is 202 runs.

Chasing Record at the Venue

The chasing record at the National Stadium in Karachi has been quite interesting, especially in limited-overs cricket. Historically, the ground has seen a balanced record for teams chasing totals, with no significant bias toward either side. The flat pitch conditions and shorter boundaries make it a good venue for chasing high totals, as teams often find it easier to accelerate their innings.

Weather conditions

The weather conditions on this ground are perfect for cricket. On match day, the temperature is forecasted to be around 30°C with a clear sky. No Interruption during the play is predicted, which is good news for both teams and players as a full match will happen. The pitch is going to be very batting-friendly with more runs likely to be scored and a high-scoring encounter is being expected.

The fresh wicket will allow the ball to come onto the bat easily, making strokeplay efficient for batters. The first-inning average score on this ground is 237 runs, so the team batting first needs to score at least 237 runs to make the match interesting. Due to the batting-friendly conditions, all batters have a good chance to score big runs on this ground.

Come on Chella kutties . Win this

NZ

I posted my team before 11.05 am

Rooting for NZ

Words words words

Thanks for the tag Madhu.

May the best team win.

Cheers..

Thanks for the tag and thread Madhu di.

When the Champions Trophy was born, under a different name, in 1998, the event was designed to raise funds and expand the game beyond the nine Test nations of the time. The first edition was held in Bangladesh, but Bangladesh - so close to Full Member status, but we didn't know it then - weren't participants.

How far we've come in 27 years. The Champions Trophy has morphed into something else entirely, and the eight teams taking part include both Bangladesh and Afghanistan but not Sri Lanka or West Indies. Cricket has grown and changed beyond recognition.

That inaugural Champions Trophy was played just two years after the final of the 1996 World Cup in Lahore. All these years later, that final remains the last ICC tournament game hosted by Pakistan.

Until today.

So much has happened in Pakistan cricket, and to Pakistan cricket, in all this time, but after years of exile, a sense of normalcy has returned, step by step by step. Only one hurdle remains - and it may take a while yet for India to visit these shores again - but for now, the mood is all about celebration. It's time for the Champions Trophy, it's time for Pakistan, and the hosts will kick the tournament off today with what we hope is a cracker of a game against New Zealand. The toss is in a hour's time, and we simply can't wait.

CHAMPIONS TROPHY, 2025

Ambitious Pakistan face off against tenacious Black Caps!

! It has been a long eight years since spectators last got to watch the ICC Champions Trophy, and there has been plenty and more that has transpired in international white-ball cricket ever since. A couple of ODI World Cups, a glut of T20I World Cups, captaincy shifts, personnel changes – the landscape of the sport is not the same as it was in 2017. Pakistan are ready to defend their crown as victors of the Champions Trophy after all this time, and on this occasion get to defend it at home, as a major ICC tournament heads to Pakistan for the first time in 30 years.

The tournament begins with Pakistan the hosts participating in the match that will start it all, taking on New Zealand in Lahore as they get the group stages started. The pair will have a third match in just about two weeks, having faced off a couple of times in the recently-concluded Tri-Nation series, a preparatory event not just for the teams, but also for the venues as they look to get everything in order ahead of this crucial tournament. New Zealand beat Pakistan on both occasions in the series, including handily in the finals, which will present ominous signs for the hosts – but it's about peaking at the right time, and against a Kiwi team that finds itself battling against a lengthening injury list like many other teams in the tournament, the hosts will fancy their chances.

New Zealand are always a threat in tournaments such as these, showing that consistency and solid cricket can be such a difference-maker in the face of teams that can be volatile and have peaks and troughs. However, while Mitchell Santner's team has plenty of threats throughout the order, injuries to Lockie Ferguson and Ben Sears, as well as Rachin Ravindra’s freak head injury, mean that they are slightly short-staffed, especially on the bowling front. Don't write them off, though: the Kiwis love pulling off upsets that you can't really call upsets, and somewhat derailing Pakistan's all-important home campaign would just be typical of the Black Caps.

Thanks for the tag and thread, Madz!

All the best to both teams!🎉