Pakistan’s Champions Trophy hopes at stake as Bangladesh faces must-win clash with New Zealand
LAHORE – Hopes of millions in Pakistan to defend the Champions Trophy title hang by a thread as Bangladesh faces New Zealand in a crucial Group A match today on Monday.
The game which is set to take place at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, will decide the fate of not only Bangladesh but also Pakistan’s campaign in the ongoing tournament. If New Zealand wins today or the match ends in a draw due to rain, Pakistan’s journey in the Champions Trophy will officially come to an end, and their hopes of defending the title will be over.
| Qualification Scenario for Pakistan | Pakistan can qualify if 1. Bangladesh beats New Zealand 2. Pakistan beats Bangladesh 3. India beats New Zealand by a large margin |
| Qualification Scenario for Bangladesh | Bangladesh must: 1. Beat both New Zealand and Pakistan 2. Hope India defeats New Zealand. With these results, Bangladesh would directly qualify for semifinals. |
In-form Kiwis are coming to this game with 2 points, having defeated Pakistan by 60 runs in their tournament opener on February 19 while Bangladesh, lost to India by 6 wickets in their first match on February 20, finds themselves in a must-win situation. A loss to the Black Caps will see them eliminated from the competition, and simultaneously, it will mark the official end of Pakistan’s title defense.
As of now, New Zealand sits at 2 points from one match, while both Pakistan and Bangladesh have yet to register a point. If New Zealand wins today, they will surge to 4 points, and both Bangladesh and Pakistan will remain on zero points after two matches.
With India already securing 4 points from two matches, both Pakistan and Bangladesh will be unable to catch up, regardless of their remaining results, meaning their hopes of advancing to the semifinals will be dashed.
For Pakistan to keep their hopes alive, Bangladesh must defeat New Zealand today and then Pakistan must beat Bangladesh on Thursday, February 27. Additionally, Pakistan would need India to defeat New Zealand by a large margin on March 2. If all these results unfold, Pakistan would advance due to a better net run rate, despite having the same number of points as New Zealand and Bangladesh.
Situation Explained
Bangladesh faces a complex qualification scenario. For Bangladesh to qualify for the semifinals, they need to beat both New Zealand today and Pakistan in coming game slated for Feb 27, along with hoping for an India win over New Zealand.
In this scenario, Bangladesh would secure a direct spot in the semifinals. However, if Bangladesh wins today but loses to Pakistan, they will depend on India’s victory over New Zealand to keep their semifinal hopes alive.
For New Zealand, a win against Bangladesh will guarantee their spot in the semifinals. A loss, however, will leave their qualification hopes reliant on Pakistan beating Bangladesh and New Zealand overcoming India.
As the tournament intensifies, the stakes could not be higher for Pakistan, whose title defense is on the brink of ending, with their fate hanging on the outcome of today’s match between Bangladesh and New Zealand.
