Karachi: New Zealand opened their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign with a commanding 60-run victory over defending champions Pakistan at the National Bank Stadium, exposing familiar frailties in Pakistan’s batting lineup.

The result not only extended New Zealand’s dominance over Pakistan in the tournament, with a 4-0 head-to-head record, but also left the hosts facing an uphill battle in a tough Group A, where only two teams will progress to the semi-finals.

Despite losing the toss and being sent in to bat under conditions expected to favor the chasing side, New Zealand showed resilience and tactical acumen. Their top order, led by Will Young (107) and Tom Latham (118*), countered Pakistan’s early swing threat with measured stroke play.

The duo’s authoritative centuries anchored New Zealand’s innings before Glenn Phillips added a late flourish with a blistering 39-ball 61. Their collective effort powered New Zealand to an imposing 320, a total that always seemed out of Pakistan’s reach given their inconsistent batting performances in recent weeks.

Pakistan’s response was sluggish from the outset. With Fakhar Zaman unable to open due to an injury sustained while fielding, Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel had the responsibility to provide a steady start. However, Shakeel perished early, chasing a wide delivery from Will O’Rourke, while Mohammad Rizwan fell soon after, courtesy of a stunning one-handed catch by Phillips at backward point. Pakistan crawled to just 22/2 in 10 overs, marking their lowest powerplay score in ODIs since 2019.

Fakhar Zaman, despite his injury, walked in at No. 4 but struggled to rotate strike against New Zealand’s disciplined spinners. Michael Bracewell and Phillips dried up the scoring options, with Fakhar eventually falling for a labored 24 off 41 balls. Salman Agha briefly raised Pakistan’s hopes with an enterprising 42 off 28 balls, taking the attack to Phillips, but his dismissal in the 30th over left Pakistan staring at a steep climb.

New Zealand’s bowling strategy was a masterclass in defensive containment and wicket-taking pressure. After Matt Henry and O’Rourke had choked Pakistan’s top order, Santner and Bracewell took over, extracting sharp turn on a slowing Karachi surface. With over 100 dot balls in the first 25 overs, Pakistan’s innings lacked momentum.