As multi-team tournaments reach their business end, the tension usually escalates—teams battle for crucial points, qualification scenarios change rapidly, and sometimes, squads find themselves relying on rival results to stay in contention. However, that won’t be the case today.

The penultimate Group A clash of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 features hosts Pakistan against Bangladesh, a match that carries no significance in the race for the semifinals. Both teams have already been eliminated after suffering defeats to India and New Zeal them with only pride to play for in Rawalpindi.

Lackluster Batting Behind Early Exit

Pakistan and Bangladesh struggled with the bat throughout the tournament, failing to put up competitive totals. While Bangladesh at least showed some fight with their bowling, Pakistan was underwhelming in all departments. In an era where even 350-plus totals don’t guarantee safety in ODIs, both sides struggled to adapt to modern-day batting demands.

Bangladesh posted 228 and 240 while batting first in their two games, while Pakistan managed 260 in a chase of 321 and a mere 241 when setting a target. These numbers highlight their shortcomings, ultimately leading to an early exit from the tournament.

A Chance to End on a High

While there are no stakes in terms of qualification, this match offers both teams a chance to give their fans something to cheer for. With no pressure, players might finally play with the freedom that was missing in earlier matches.

Match Details

• When: Thursday, February 27 at 2:00 PM Local Time
• Where: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium
• Weather Forecast: The last match at this venue (Australia vs South Africa) was abandoned due to persistent rain, and similar conditions are expected on Thursday, which could lead to a washed-out farewell for both sides.

Team News & Probable XIs

Pakistan

Several players—Kamran Ghulam, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Hasnain, and Usman Khan—haven’t played in this tournament yet. With no pressure on the result, Pakistan might experiment with their lineup.

Probable XI: Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Usman Khan, Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk), Salman Agha, Faheem Ashraf, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

Bangladesh

This match could mark the end of an era for Bangladesh cricket, as veterans Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah are likely playing their last ICC ODI tournament. The team is expected to stick with their current combination.

Probable XI: Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Mustafizur Rahman

Key Stats & Trivia

• Pakistan and Bangladesh have never faced each other in a Champions Trophy match before.
• The most dot balls in this tournament: Bangladesh (181 vs NZ) and Pakistan (162 vs NZ) feature at the top.
• Since January 2023, Pakistan’s powerplay scoring rate (4.84) is the second lowest among all Champions Trophy teams, only ahead of Afghanistan (4.5).

What They Said

“I have said multiple times that we need to improve as a batting unit, but we kept repeating the same mistakes. After this tournament, we must reassess and change our mindset to improve our batting.” — Najmul Hossain Shanto, Bangladesh captain.