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Pakistan vs New Zealand Prediction & Betting Tips - ICC Champions Trophy
by Devesh Jaganath | in ICC Champions Trophy Predictions
The 2025 ICC Champions Trophy is finally here, and kicking off the tournament will be the host nation Pakistan taking on New Zealand at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi on Wednesday morning. The Shaheens won the previous edition of the competition in England in 2017, while the Black Caps were knocked out in the group stage of the competition. Let’s get into the match prediction!
The weather report for the tournament opener shows clear conditions with no rain predicted. The pitch is expected to be good for batting and spin bowling in the first innings, while spinners may get less help later in the day owing to dew.
Pakistan have been the more successful side in matches between these teams having won 61 games compared to New Zealand’s 53. Additionally, the Shaheens have 22 wins and only eight losses to the Kiwis on home soil. Let’s take a look at some other key stats.
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Pakistan - New Zealand: Form Analysis
Pakistan enter the 2025 Champions Trophy off the back of the tri-nations series which they lost in the final to this opponent last week by five wickets.
However, barring that defeat, they have been in good shape leading up to the tournament, having beaten the Proteas in South Africa 3-0 last December following a 2-1 series win over Zimbabwe a month earlier.
Excluding the tri-nations series, Pakistan last faced this opponent in the 50-over format at the ODI World Cup and came away with a victory by 21 runs via the DLS method.
Both these teams have won the Champions Trophy once each!
Meanwhile, New Zealand enter this match riding a three-match win streak after beating this opponent twice either side of a victory against South Africa in the tri-nations series over the last couple of weeks.
The Kiwis also beat Sri Lanka 2-1 in a three-match series in January, after losing to the Lions 2-0 in late November. They reached the semi-final of the ODI World Cup but were beaten by India.
New Zealand are looking to win a major trophy for the first time in 25 years. The last piece of silverware they earned was in this competition back in 2000 when the tournament was still known as the ICC Knockout tournament.
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Pakistan & New Zealand Squad Analysis
There has been plenty of discussion about the Pakistani team selection leading up to the tournament but their top order is fairly settled, led by the returning Fakhar Zaman.
Zaman has 1,053 ODI runs against NZ at an average of 65.81. He will be joined by Babar Azam, who is ranked as the number-one ODI batsman in the world by the ICC.
With the ball, Shaheen Afridi has been in great shape over the last year, claiming 21 wickets across nine ODI games since the start of 2024. During that period, Haris Rauf picked up 14 wickets across nine ODIs.
New Zealand were forced to make a late change to their team selection, with pacer Ben Sears sustaining an injury. He has been replaced by Jacob Duffy for the tournament.
Daryl Mitchell is one to watch with the bat for the Kiwis.
Mitchell has scored 1,392 runs at an average of 49.71 since the start of 2023, making him the leading run-scorer for the team over the period.
With spin bowling expected to be a major factor in the competition, the visitors will rely heavily on the services of Mitchell Santner, who has plenty of experience bowling in the sub-continent.
Pakistan - New Zealand Key Points
- Mohammad Rizwan has scored over 30 runs in four of his last five matches.
- Mohammad Rizwan has an ODI batting average of 42.8.
- Mohammad Rizwan averages 51.00 against New Zealand in ODIs.
- Mohammad Rizwan averages 40.88 when playing on home soil.
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Our Pakistan vs New Zealand Prediction
Pakistan will be looking to make a positive start to the tournament and will also be aiming to exact revenge for their tri-nations series defeat to this opponent earlier this month.
The Shaheens’ skipper Mohammad Rizwan has been in great nick leading up to this tournament, notching up half-centuries in three of his last four innings, including the tri-nations series final last week. Therefore, our Pakistan vs New Zealand prediction is Mohammad Rizwan over 30 runs.
Pakistan vs New Zealand - Other Interesting Predictions
New Zealand wins the match
New Zealand have won three of the last four matches between these teams and five of their last six ODIs overall.
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Pakistan vs New Zealand match : Frequently asked questions
The Champions Trophy match between Pakistan and New Zealand will be played on February 19 at 09:00 GMT.
The Champions Trophy match between Pakistan and New Zealand will take place at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi.
Pakistan viewers can tune in to PTV and Ten Sports, while in New Zealand the match will be broadcast on Sky Sport NZ.
All tips are fully researched and given in good faith, but profits cannot be guaranteed.
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