PAK vs NZ: Tom Latham and Will Young's Centuries drive New Zealand to Win against Pakistan in the Tournament opener | Pakistan vs New Zealand in ICC Champions Trophy

PAK vs NZ in Champions Trophy: New Zealand have started the ICC Champions Trophy with a victory over the hosts. Will Young and Tom Latham's centuries along with Phillips's attacking innings helped the Kiwis to put up a healthy total and disciplined bowling later on got the better of the Pakistan team.

Pakistan had good momentum in the first powerplay of the first innings but New Zealand took no time to draw it away from them. Let's take a look at the Match highlights and the points table of ICC Champions Trophy 2025 after PAK vs NZ:

PAK vs NZ Match Highlights

Toss and the Playing11s

In the inaugural match of the tournament between Pakistan and New Zealand, host Pakistan won the toss and opted to field first. Captain Mohammad Rizwan highlighted the impact of dew in previous matches and aimed to maximize the advantage of bowling under drier conditions. Pakistan welcomed back Haris Rauf into the playing XI, strengthening their bowling attack alongside Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah.

On the other hand, New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner acknowledged the challenge of adapting to Karachi’s conditions but remained confident in his squad, with Matt Henry making a return to the lineup. Both teams fielded a balanced mix of experienced players and fresh faces, setting the stage for an exciting contest.

Pakistan Playing11: Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan(w/c), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

New Zealand Playing11: Devon Conway, Will Young, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner(c), Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, William ORourke

New Zealand's Innings- 320/5 (50 overs)

Will Young and Devon Conway opened the innings for New Zealand, but the game took an early twist when Fakhar Zaman injured his knee on just the second ball, leading to Kamran Ghulam replacing him on the field. New Zealand started steadily, but things quickly turned as Abrar Ahmed bowled a brilliant googly to dismiss Conway, and Naseem Shah followed up by removing Kane Williamson within five balls.

At 40/2, the Kiwis were in trouble, but Daryl Mitchell and Will Young steadied the ship before Haris Rauf struck to send Mitchell back. Tom Latham then joined Young, and the duo built a crucial 119-run partnership for the fourth wicket. 

Will Young created history by becoming the first player to score a century in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. However, his knock ended at 107 off 113 balls when he mistimed a pull shot off Naseem Shah, sending a catch to substitute fielder Faheem Ashraf at deep square.

Glenn Phillips came in next and, after a cautious start, unleashed a flurry of boundaries, turning the momentum in New Zealand’s favor. Alongside Latham, he took full advantage of Pakistan’s bowlers in the death overs. The final eight overs were a carnage, with the pair adding over 100 runs. Phillips smashed 61 off just 39 balls, while Latham wasn’t far behind, bringing up his century in 95 balls. He continued his aggressive hitting, helping New Zealand finish strong.

Despite a solid start from Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah early on, Pakistan’s bowling struggled at the death. New Zealand capitalized on this, racking up 113 runs in the last 10 overs to post a challenging total of 320/5.

Pakistan's Innings-  260/10 (47.2 Overs)

Due to Fakhar Zaman’s injury, he had to wait 25 minutes before coming out to bat, forcing Pakistan to reshuffle their batting order. As a result, Saud Shakeel opened alongside Babar Azam. However, the plan didn’t work as Saud chased a wide delivery and was caught at third man. Things got worse when Mohammad Rizwan fell early, leaving Pakistan struggling at 22/2 in the first 10 overs.

While Babar played cautiously at one end, Fakhar Zaman looked for scoring opportunities. But his steady approach couldn’t last long against Michael Bracewell’s disciplined bowling. With a daunting 321-run chase ahead, Pakistan found themselves at 69/3 after 21 overs. However, Agha Salman injected momentum into the innings, launching a counter-attack. He smashed a quickfire 42 off just 28 balls, hitting six fours and a six, giving Pakistan a much-needed boost.

Agha Salman fell prey to Nathon Smith and Santner took down the new batter Taiyyab Tahir in the very next over. Babar Azam was still there and got his fifty in 81 balls but had a huge pressure from the big target resulting in his fall as well. A teasing loopy full ball from Santner took the top edge of Babar and Williamson had pretty safe hands for the catch.

Khushdil Shah tried to keep Pakistan’s hopes alive, but after Shaheen Afridi’s dismissal, he was left fighting alone. He took on O’Rourke and Matt Henry in the final 10 overs, but his resistance didn’t last long. With Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah falling soon after, Pakistan’s innings came to an end, handing New Zealand a convincing 60-run victory in the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Points Table