Pakistan’s Disastrous Exit from the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy

Pakistan finished last in Group A of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy after a washout against Bangladesh, joining Kenya as the only host nation to exit without a win. High hopes surrounded the team, but they faced defeats against New Zealand and India, leading to their early elimination. Bangladesh surpassed Pakistan due to a better Net Run Rate, despite both teams ending with one point.

In the aftermath of the rain-affected match against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi, Pakistan has concluded their participation in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy at the bottom of Group A. This outcome places them in an ignominious category alongside only Kenya, as the second team in the tournament’s history to finish without a victory despite being host nation. Kenya had previously achieved this undesirable milestone in 2000 when they participated as a knockout format team, losing their match to India.

Historically, the last instance wherein a host nation finished at the bottom of the standings occurred during the 2009 Champions Trophy. At that time, South Africa ended up in fourth place in their group, which included Sri Lanka, England, and New Zealand. This year, expectations were notably high for Pakistan, as they hosted an ICC event for the first time since 1996. However, the tournament ended poorly for the team, captained by Mohammad Rizwan, as they exited without securing a single victory.

Pakistan faced a 60-run defeat against New Zealand in their inaugural match, followed by a six-wicket loss to India in Dubai. Their official elimination from the tournament was confirmed when New Zealand defeated Bangladesh in Rawalpindi. Although both Pakistan and Bangladesh concluded the tournament with one point each, Bangladesh ranked higher due to a superior Net Run Rate (NRR).

In summary, Pakistan’s performance in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy has been historically poor, marking them as the only other team alongside Kenya to exit without a win while hosting. This disappointing result underscores the significant contrast between expectations and reality for the team, concluding a tournament that promised much but ultimately delivered little.

Original Source: www.cricket.com