Champions Trophy 2025: Pakistan batters played 145 dot balls while chasing 321-run target

Pakistan lost the opening match of Champions Trophy 2025 to New Zealand by 60 runs at the National Bank Cricket Stadium in Karachi on Wednesday.

Chasing 321-run target Pakistan team started slowly and their batters almost ducked half of the balls in the second innings.

Pakistan upper order batters, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Fakhar Zaman and captain Mohammad Rizwan played 164 balls collectively and scored 97 runs.

These four players played 108 dot balls in the innings, while rest of the batters played 37 dot balls while facing 120 balls.

Centuries from Will Young and Tom Latham, combined with a strong bowling performance powered New Zealand beat Pakistan by 60 runs in the inaugural match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at National Bank Stadium in Karachi.

Read more: ‘Babar still plays ODI cricket from 1980s’

Earlier, former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has come down hard on Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam, calling his batting style outdated and reminiscent of the 1980s.

Chasing a target of 321, Pakistan struggled to gain momentum, losing wickets at regular intervals.

Babar scored 64 runs off 90 balls at a strike rate of 71.11 while chasing a target of 321. He and Saud Shakeel opened the innings for Pakistan after their regular opener, Fakhar Zaman, was forced to sit out for at least 25 minutes due to leaving the field during Pakistan’s bowling.