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Pakistan V New Zealand Champions Trophy: Free Bets, Tips & Insights
6 minutes Check out all the details of the first game of the Champions Trophy 2025 right here!
The 9th edition of the Champions Trophy will start on the 19th February in Karachi. The hosts and defending champions, Pakistan, and CT 2000 Champions, New Zealand, will come against each other for the 1st game.
Check out all the details of the first game, including predictions, free bets our top 10 betting sites in India and insights.
Match Details
| Match Details Pakistan vs New Zealand | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | Pakistan vs New Zealand |
| Venue | National Cricket Stadium |
| Date | 19th February |
| Time | 2 PM PST |
Weather Report
The weather for the first game of Pakistan V New Zealand has a very low chance of rainfall. The temperature is slightly high in Karachi for this game, which can offer some spin, as shown in the Pakistan vs New Zealand tri series final.
Pitch Report
As in the past, National Bank Cricket Stadium offers great assistance to the batters. In the tri-series, Pakistan chased down 352 runs against South Africa. In the final of the tri-series, Pakistan's batting lineup made extra mistakes, which cost them 50 runs short of the target. So, batting will be easy, and if any of the teams has to win the game, they have to score 325 runs in the first innings.
Pakistan vs New Zealand - Head-to-Head in ODIs
| Category | Numbers |
|---|---|
| Total Matches | 118 |
| Pakistan Wins | 61 |
| New Zealand Wins | 53 |
| No Result | 3 |
| Tied | 1 |
Match Preview and Performance Analysis
Both sides are very competitive and strong, and they will make a good start in the Champions Trophy 2025. Looking at the recent records, both sides played some interesting games recently. New Zealand comprehensively won the series, beating Pakistan in the final.
New Zealand always performs well in ICC tournaments, which makes them a tough opponent to beat. But, Pakistan has an excellent record against New Zealand, especially in ICC events. So, the first game is set on a high scale as both sides shared some tight records.
Pakistan's very unpredictable status makes this side full of excitement in World Cricket. So, on match day, this team can do wonders, losing to the junior team or winning against the top-level team.
One of the performances was shown by Pakistan against New Zealand in the Cricket World Cup 2023, chasing a total of 402 runs. Pakistani explosive batter Fakhar Zaman made an extraordinary 100 against New Zealand to beat this side. Also, Fakhar Zaman has excellent record in international cricket against New Zealand with an average of more than 50.
Babar Azam, who has some lean patches in his career now, can become a crucial player in this game. Babar Azam also has an excellent record in ODI cricket. He has achieved 6000 runs and is the #1 ODI batter.
Including him, Shaheen Afridi and Salman Ali Agha are the best choices for Pakistan to win this game. Shaheen has to take wickets in early overs to take charge for Pakistan. Salman Ali Agha made a fantastic 100 against South Africa to help Pakistan chase the 350+ runs target and get crucial wickets for his side.
For New Zealand, Kane Williamson is the top choice to win the first game for his side. He is also in top form, scoring 50 and 100 in recent tri-series for New Zealand. With him, Daryll Mitchell and Glenn Philips will be very important for his side in this game. Daryll Mitchell has a brilliant average against Pakistan, over 50, and Philips made a brilliant 100 against Pakistan in the opening game of the Tri-series.
Michael Bracewell is a very important player for his side in the first game of the Champions Trophy 2025. He has a brilliant record against Babar Azam, an important wicket against Pakistan. So, these players are crucial for this game and for gaining momentum.
This group of Champions Trophy 2025 is very difficult compared to the second group. So, both sides want to win the game and fancy their chances of qualifying for the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy 2025.
Key Players to Watch
Pakistan
Pakistan has some players who will be prominent names for them to make a first win. There are:
Mohammad Rizwan
Mohammad Rizwan has a brilliant record as ODI captain of Pakistan. He won the ODI series against Australia and became the first captain to whitewash South Africa in their hometown in ODIs. He scored a fabulous 100 against South Africa in a recent tri-series. Adding all the qualities makes Rizwan the most crucial member of his side in the first game of the Champions Trophy 2025.
Babar Azam
No #1 ODI batter, Babar Azam, has a brilliant record against New Zealand. Also, he has completed 6,000 ODI runs, becoming the joint fastest to reach that milestone. Neglecting the bad phase of Babar Azam's form, he has a better chance of scoring big runs for his side in this game.
Fakhar Zaman
Fakhar Azam has an absolutely outstanding record against New Zealand. He made a strong comeback in the international by making 84 runs and New Zealand in opening game of Tri series. Also, his explosive batting approach makes him crucial for his side in this game, as he turns the game with impactful innings.
New Zealand
The special thing about New Zealand is that it plays like a whole team despite having a great player in their player. However, some players have to make big impact this game against Pakistan for New Zealand.
Mitchell Santner
Replacing Kane Williamson, Santner showed great performance for New Zealand as captain by winning against Sri Lanka and Tri-series. He also performed well against Pakistan in both tri-series games, making him crucial for this game.
Kane Williamson
Kane Williamson has a brilliant record against Pakistan and is the go-to batter for New Zealand in critical situations. Also, his excellent batting form makes him crucial for his side in this game, as he has scored fifty and hundred in recent three games for his side.
Daryll Mitchell
Daryll Mitchell has a magnificent record in Asian pitches, which makes him a very lethal weapon for New Zealand in the Subcontinent. He has a great record with Pakistan with an average of more than 50 and scored 132 runs against Pakistan in recent 2 games. These records show that Mitchell loves to play against Pakistan, which makes him very important for this game.
Free Bets
There are several cricket betting sites offering great odds on this match, as well as free bets and bonuses. Here are our recommended free bets:
10Cric
If you are not yet a 10Cric customer, now is a great time to create an account. Sign up with 10Cric using the betting.bet link and 10Cric will boost your balance by 100% up to ₹15,000. To unlock this bonus, deposit at least ₹250 using bonus code WELCOME.
1XBet
Register with 1XBet India to get a 120% bonus of up to 33000 INR! Do this ahead of the 19th of February and use your bonus to place your Pakistan V New Zealand betting predictions.
Win Prediction
Both sides have talented players for this game. But, New Zealand looks slightly more balanced as they showed great performance in the Tri-series, being unbeaten. If Pakistan has to win this game, then they must make some better plans to beat New Zealand. Pakistan bowlers had to take wickets in early overs, and the fielding was very floppy in the final of the Tri-series, which should be resolved in this game.
- New Zealand: 54%
- Pakistan: 46%
