“I wonder why Pakistan played their first match against New Zealand..” Ramiz Raja feels that the schedule knocked Pakistan out of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Ramiz Raja feels Pakistan should have played the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 against Bangladesh.

“I wonder why Pakistan played their first match against New Zealand..” Ramiz Raja feels that the schedule knocked Pakistan out of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Ramiz Raja, Pakistan Cricket (Via ICC/X)

Defending Champions and hosts Pakistan Cricket Team became the first side to get knocked out of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. They lost their first match against New Zealand by 60 runs in Karachi and then India beat them by six wickets in Dubai. They will next face the Bangladesh Cricket Team in the final match of the league phase in the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, which will be a dead rubber match.

There were a lot of questions placed on the squad composition of the Men in Green for the Champions Trophy. The team also did not put up any strong performance in the two matches, whether it was batting, bowling, or fielding. After the losses, the team has been criticized a lot for their underperformance in the last few ICC tournaments, and questions have been raised about the places of many players in the team.

YouTube video

Former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raja has meanwhile raised questions about the schedule of the Men in Green in the Champions Trophy. He felt that Pakistan should have played Bangladesh in the opening match rather than New Zealand. The loss against the Kiwis had put pressure on the Pakistan team against India.

I wonder why Pakistan played their first match against New Zealand. They should have played their first match against Bangladesh. Even though Bangladesh is a strong side, it was still comparatively an easy match for them. They played against them in the opener and lost. The defeat created pressure on Pakistan. I don’t understand why Pakistan didn’t play their first match against Bangladesh or India. If that happened, the pressure would be equal.

Ramiz Raja said via his YouTube channel

Pakistan will need to make many changes in their squad after the tournament. Their cricketing system and domestic tournaments need improvement. The selectors have to put importance on the performances of players in domestic cricket, and moreover, they need to make it mandatory for their star players to play in domestic cricket and perform.

Ramiz Raja also hails Virat Kohli’s century against Pakistan

Virat Kohli was struggling with his form ahead of the match against Pakistan. However, given the great player that he has been in ODI cricket and his performances against Pakistan, he stepped up yet again against the Men in Green after the loss of the early wicket in the form of Rohit Sharma.

Virat Kohli (1)
Virat Kohli (Via BCCI/X)

He remained unbeaten by scoring 100 runs off 111 balls and guided India home with six wickets and 45 balls to spare. Kohli batted in his usual style and kept the scoreboard ticking. He showed why he has been the master of run chases in limited-overs cricket.

Raja hailed Kohli’s knock and stated that the Indian batter showed his balanced approach during the run chase. The former Pakistani cricketer felt that Kohli maintained the pace of the scoring and played confidently against all the bowlers.

Virat’s knock had everything. There was calmness and attack. He maintained the pace well. Overall, Virat Kohli was a complete package. He keeps on challenging himself. He played confidently against every bowler and didn’t allow anyone to settle.

Ramiz Raja said via his YouTube channel

India will now face New Zealand in the final match of the group stage in Dubai on March 2. Both of these teams have already qualified for the semi-final from group A.