ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Pakistan vs Bangladesh Match Preview

Image credits: AP Photo

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has reached its penultimate stage, with Pakistan and Bangladesh set to face off in a dead rubber match in Group A. Both teams have had a disappointing campaign so far, with Pakistan losing to New Zealand and India, and Bangladesh suffering defeats at the hands of India and New Zealand. As a result, neither team has a chance to progress to the semifinals, and this match is essentially a battle for pride.

Despite the lack of stakes, this match still offers an opportunity for both teams to give their fans something to cheer about and to play with freedom, unburdened by the pressure of needing to win. Pakistan and Bangladesh have both struggled with their batting, with Pakistan posting underwhelming totals of 260 and 241, and Bangladesh managing only 228 and 240. The batsmen from both teams will be looking to make a statement and end their campaign on a high note. The bowlers will also be eager to make an impact, with Pakistan's Naseem Shah and Bangladesh's Taskin Ahmed being two of the key players to watch out for.

The match is scheduled to take place on Thursday, February 27 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, with the toss set to take place at 2:00 PM local time. The pitch at Rawalpindi is expected to offer good assistance to the spinners, with Michael Bracewell picking up four wickets for just 26 runs in the previous match between New Zealand and Bangladesh. The weather forecast is not promising, with a chance of rain predicted, which could potentially disrupt the match. The teams are as follows:

• Pakistan: 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: 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

The squads for the match are:

• Pakistan Squad: Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan(w/c), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Usman Khan, Faheem Ashraf
• Bangladesh Squad: Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto(c), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Nahid Rana, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Parvez Hossain Emon, Nasum Ahmed, Soumya Sarkar

The match will be broadcast on Star Sports and live-streamed on JioStar in multiple languages. With nothing to lose, both teams will be looking to play aggressive cricket and end their campaign on a high note. It promises to be an exciting match, with plenty of action and drama expected.