New Delhi: After losing their opening match, Pakistan find themselves in a must-win situation to stay in contention for the Champions Trophy 2025 semifinals. Their next challenge is a high-stakes clash against arch-rivals India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday (February 23). India, who began their campaign with a comfortable victory over Bangladesh, currently sit second in Group B, while Pakistan languish at the bottom. In their opener against New Zealand in Karachi, Mohammad Rizwan‘s side fell short while chasing a target of 321, adding to the pressure ahead of their crucial encounter with India.
Babar Azam and Khushdil Shah registered half-centuries for Pakistan, while Salman Ali Agha contributed a quickfire 42 off 28 balls. However, their efforts were in vain as New Zealand secured a 60-run victory.
India, on the other hand, outplayed Bangladesh across all departments in their last game.
With Mohammed Shami taking a brilliant five-wicket haul, Bangladesh were bowled out for 228. On the batting front, Shubman Gill shone as India’s standout performer, scoring a magnificent unbeaten century with 101 off 129 balls.
Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul each added 41 to the total as India chased down the target in 46.3 overs.
Dubai Weather Forecast
The Champions Trophy game between India and Pakistan, set to be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on February 23, is unlikely to face any hindrance from rain. Although it was raining in Dubai a couple of days before India’s first match of the tournament. There is no prediction of rain for India vs Pakistan Champions Trophy match.
The weather may remain partly cloudy in the afternoon, with a maximum temperature of 31 degrees Celsius, and the minimum temperature dropping to as low as 23 degrees Celsius.
Dubai International Cricket Stadium Pitch Report
The pitch at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium is expected to assist the bowlers, with most recent ODIs at the venue being low-scoring encounters. Even in the India vs Bangladesh Champions Trophy match, scoring runs proved to be challenging.
In Dubai, only four teams have been able to cross the 300-run mark in ODIs. The average first-innings score at this ground remains 219. So, a 250-plus target should be considered decent.
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