The Champions Trophy 2025 has been full of thrill and the action-packed matches are adding to the intensity of the ‘Mini World Cup’. With another high-intensity match upcoming, featuring Pakistan and Bangladesh, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium is all set to thrill the crowd on February 27. The Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium will host the last game for the host nation Pakistan (PAK) against Bangladesh (BAN) as they have been knocked out of the tournament. Both teams will face each other on Thursday, February 27.
However, both the teams Pakistan and Bangladesh that are set to clash have their setbacks as they lost two games out of their 3 group stage matches which makes them virtually ineligible for the semi-finals. However, it will be a game of pride for the hosts Pakistan and their rivals Bangladesh as well and with both teams boasting solid batting lineup, all-rounder firepower and raw pace it will be a battle of the best.
PAK vs BAN : Previous Performances
This is the penultimate Group A match in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and there’s nothing on the line. A dead rubber between two underwhelming sides, both beaten by New Zealand and India, with no path forward. It’s tournament hosts Pakistan against fellow Asians Bangladesh, playing for pride, not progression.
Both teams were under par with their batting and did not have much on the scoreboard to put pressure on the oppositions. And while Bangladesh did at least try to make a fight out of it with some spirited bowling, Pakistan were downright mediocre across all facets of their game.
Pakistan has been criticised for their performances this season and has suffered disappointing defeats against New Zealand and arch-rivals India in the tournament. The Mohammad Rizwan-led side despite being defending champions and favourites have not had many things going their way with either bat or ball.
It has been the same story for the Bangla Tigers as well who though might have shown glimpses of brilliance in their two matches with the comeback against India in the first innings and getting the New Zealand openers early in their previous encounter but it was still not enough to get over the line in the two games where they eventually ended up second best on the day.
This is the penultimate Group A match in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and there’s nothing on the line. A dead rubber between two underwhelming sides, both beaten by New Zealand and India, with no path forward. It’s tournament hosts Pakistan against fellow Asians Bangladesh, playing for pride, not progression.
PAK vs BAN : Head to Head
| Matches Played | 39 |
| Won by Pakistan | 34 |
| Won by Bangladesh | 05 |
| Tied | 00 |
| No Result | 00 |
| First-ever Fixture | 31 Mar 1986 |
| Most-recent Fixture | 31 Oct 2023 |
PAK vs BAN : Pitch and Weather Report
The Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, typically a batting-friendly venue, could see altered conditions following overnight rain ahead of the Australia vs South Africa clash. While the pitch generally provides true bounce and minimal lateral movement, early moisture may offer assistance to pacers with extra bounce and slight seam movement.
The wicket at Rawalpindi seemed sticky for the batters and had something for the bowlers but as the game progressed it got slightly easy for the batters. The strategy of the teams on this wicket will be to overcome the tough phase at the start and keep the runs flowing. Though it is not the easiest surface to bat on it will be better for the teams to bowl first.
A damp outfield could slow down the ball, making stroke play challenging in the initial overs. Spinners might find limited grip early on but could come into play as the surface dries later in the match. With chasing teams historically enjoying success here, captains may lean towards bowling first after winning the toss.
Pakistan will hope that their farewell from their own Champions Trophy is not rained out. There is rain in the forecast. The previous match at the venue, between South Africa and Australia, was abandoned because of rain too. The pitch would have been under cover for a lot of the last three days by the time the game starts, and there’s always the chance of extra moisture around the square.
The Australia vs South Africa match at this venue was abandoned without a toss due to persistent rain on Tuesday. With a similar forecast for Thursday, Pakistan and Bangladesh might see their disappointing campaigns end with a soggy farewell.
PAK vs BAN : Big Picture : Pakistan and Bangladesh hope rain stays away
It has not been a tournament to remember for either Pakistan or Bangladesh, and the team talks ahead of their last game, against each other in Rawalpindi, are likely to be similar: play for pride, etc. With some chatter about the poor weather – if it continues, as the forecast says, the long faces in the two dressing rooms will get longer.
Pakistan’s numbers in the Champions Trophy matches against New Zealand and India don’t make for pretty reading. Their top-order batters haven’t pulled their collective weight.
With Fakhar Zaman out injured, Imam-ul-Haq came in and didn’t do much. Saud Shakeel and Babar Azam have both hit a half-century each, but not been able to have any major impact. Mohammad Rizwan hasn’t looked in any sort of form despite scoring a century in the tri-series at home before the Champions Trophy. Pakistan could bring in Kamran Ghulam just to freshen things up, but who do they drop
After the top four, it’s no better. Khushdil Shah, Salman Agha and Tayyab Tahir seem to be playing similar roles, which has led to stagnation in the middle. Faheem Ashraf, potentially, could have balanced the side a bit, but hasn’t been given a go. And the quick bowlers have struggled to control the flow. India took apart Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf. Naseem Shah has been better, but has looked below his best. Abrar Ahmed has bowled one great delivery that was overshadowed by his celebration.
Bangladesh haven’t been too different, bar their quick bowling. Their batting has been one-dimensional, and not been able to go through the gears, with the lower order having to bail them out. Their top order caved in against India, while Michael Bracewell’s offspin got rid of their middle order in the other game. Najmul Hossain Shanto showed form against New Zealand, while Jaker Ali has been consistent – they might have to do even more against Pakistan. As is the case with Towhid Hridoy, who scored an impressive century against India.
But they will want veterans Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah to sign off from what could be their last ICC game with a bang and not a whimper. Their lack of fire has been disappointing to see, though, in Mahmudullah’s case, it’s just been one match and one failure.
Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana have to do the heavy lifting again on Thursday, with Mustafizur Rahman continuing to be steady without being spectacular. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Rishad Hossain, the lead spinners, have a lot to do, too, especially in Rawalpindi where they should have a more central role.
But the two teams will also be looking beyond this game. They have to set their priorities right in the domestic circuit and then look for improvement in their international teams. They will both have to go back to the drawing board ahead of the next ICC tournament, and figure out how they can make a better fist of it, especially with a transition of sorts possibly around the corner.
PAK vs BAN : In the Spotlight : Abrar Ahmed and Jaker Ali
His send-off after the wonder ball to Shubman Gill has attracted all the attention, but Abrar Ahmed has been one of the few success stories for Pakistan in the last couple of weeks. He’s posed a wicket-taking threat. He’s been economical as well. But Bangladesh handled him well last year in the Rawalpindi Test so it will be interesting to see what happens on Thursday.
Jaker Ali has been a revelation for Bangladesh in the lower-middle order in the last few months. It has been just seven ODIs, but he averages 50-plus with two fifties. He is a strong hitter in the death overs, often finding the boundaries, but wouldn’t mind having another specialist batter at the other end for at least a part of the time. Jaker can also offer his wicketkeeping if Bangladesh look to tinker with their XI and leave out Mushfiqur.
PAK vs BAN : Vital Stats that matters
- This is the first Pakistan vs Bangladesh contest in Champions Trophy history
- Pakistan beat Bangladesh in their only previous ODI in Rawalpindi in 2003
- Pakistan have a 12-0 overall home record against Bangladesh in ODIs
- The fast bowlers across the two teams have taken 11 wickets, but Bangladesh’s group has a bowling average of 44.83 and have conceded runs at 5.12 per over, while Pakistan’s have an average of 63.50 and an economy rate of 7.18.
- Most dot balls in this CT — 181 (BAN v NZ), 162 (PAK v NZ), 160 (BAN v IND), 156 (AFG v SA), 152 (PAK v IND)
- In overs 1 to 10 since January 2013, Pakistan’s scoring rate of 4.84 is the second lowest after Afghanistan (4.5) among current CT teams
PAK vs BAN : Team News for Pakistan and Bangladesh
Pakistan :
Kamran Ghulam, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Hasnain and Usman Khan have not got a game yet in this Champions Trophy. Pakistan might look at including a few of them or all of them, with nothing riding on this match. Could Pakistan leave out one of their star quick bowlers to give Mohammad Hasnain or Faheem Ashraf a chance They also have batting options in Usman Khan and Kamran Ghulam.
Pakistan Probable XI: 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 :
This is likely to be the final ODI in an ICC event for two Bangladesh legends – Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah – with the team likely to transition to the younger players in the near future, building up to the next one-day ICC event. Bangladesh are likely to stick to the same eleven that took the field against New Zealand.
Bangladesh Probable XI: 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
PAK vs BAN Fantasy XI : Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk.), Salman Agha, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Nahid Rana, Mustafizur Rahman
PAK vs BAN : Probable best performers
Probable best batter: Babar Azam
Though Babar Azam has barely made much impact in the tournament the last game against India is where the fans witnessed an aggressive approach from the top-order batter in the start. He will want to play one big innings in this last game and prove why he is one of the best batters in the world right now.
Probable best bowler: Taskin Ahmed
The 29-year-old Taskin Ahmed was brilliant with the new ball against New Zealand who had a really strong batting lineup. Though he managed only one scalp he was still making things look tough against the Kiwis. The right-arm pacer has enjoyed bowling on this surface and will look to bowl another great spell against the host nation.
PAK vs BAN : Match Prediction
Scenario 1
- Pakistan win the toss and opt to bowl first
- Powerplay: 40-60
- BAN: 240-260
- Pakistan win the match
Scenario 2
- Bangladesh win the toss and opt to bowl first
- Powerplay: 60-75
- PAK: 270- 290
- Bangladesh win the match
In an era where even 350-plus totals aren’t safe in the 50-over format, Pakistan and Bangladesh have regressed. While the pitches may have had a role to play to an extent, their batting struggles were evident. Bangladesh managed only 228 and 240, both times batting first, while Pakistan posted 260 in a chase of 321 and 241 when setting a target. These underwhelming totals exposed their shortcomings and ultimately left them far behind in the race to the semifinals.
So, what does this game offer for the teams Not much in terms of stakes, but perhaps a chance to give their disappointed fans something to cheer for – and to finally play with freedom, unburdened by the inhibitions and fears that plagued their past performances.