Champions Trophy 2025: If Pakistan loses, India will reach semi-finals directly! Know game plan

Champions Trophy 2025: The Champions Trophy is starting today. In the opening match, host Pakistan will face New Zealand. He is the host as well as the defending champion. He won the title by defeating the Indian team in 2017. Pakistan will have the burden of performing well on home ground as well as defending the trophy.

He is hosting an ICC event after 29 years. The last time Pakistan co-hosted the ODI World Cup was in 1996.

In the opening match, host Pakistan will face New Zealand. He is the host as well as the defending champion. He won the title by defeating the Indian team in 2017.

Champions Trophy is starting today

Pakistan is in Group A with New Zealand, India and Bangladesh. According to the rules of the Champions Trophy, all the teams in the group will play against each other once. The top-2 teams will directly reach the semi-finals. In this way, there is no room for mistake for any team.

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Defeat in one match can eliminate it from the tournament. In such a situation, the first match against the Kiwi team is very important for Pakistan.

Two defeats in a week

Recently, Pakistan had to face defeat twice in a week against New Zealand. In the triangular series at home, the Kiwis defeated them in the first group round and then defeated them in the final as well. In such a situation, the Pakistani team is desperate to take revenge and would like to start with a win.

What will happen if Pakistan loses to New Zealand

If New Zealand wins this match against Pakistan as well, then Mohammad Rizwan's team will be in trouble. In such a situation, it will have to win its remaining two matches at all costs. On February 23, it has to play against India in Dubai and on February 27 in Rawalpindi against Bangladesh. It will be very difficult for Pakistan to win against India. If Team India defeats them, then after two defeats in two matches, the host team can be out of the tournament in the first round itself.

What is the benefit to India from Pakistan's defeat

If Pakistan loses to New Zealand in the first match, then the path to the semi-finals will become easier for Team India. It will come closer to the semi-finals by defeating Bangladesh on 20 February and Pakistan on 23 February. Team India's record in ICC events against New Zealand has not been good.

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Even if Rohit Sharma's team loses to the Kiwis, then it will reach the semi-finals by winning against Bangladesh and Pakistan. Overall, we can say that Pakistan's defeat in the first match will be beneficial for India.