New Zealand underlined their title aspirations with a 60-run victory against defending champions Pakistan in a Group A match of the Champions Trophy at the National Stadium on Wednesday.

Having lost seven wickets, Pakistan are in dire straits. However, Khushdil has kept the hopes alive for the hosts, after smashing a beautiful half-century.

Pakistan’s 29-year wait to host a major International Cricket Council tournament ended Wednesday when it won the toss and elected to field in the Champions Trophy opener against New Zealand. Pakistan is the defending champion after beating archrival India in the final when the Champions Trophy was last played in 2017.

Brief scores: New Zealand 320/5 in 50 overs (Tom Latham 118*, Will Young 107; Naseem Shah 2-63) beat Pakistan 260 in 47.2 overs (Khushdil Shah 69, Babar Azam 64; Will O'Rourke 3-47, Mitchell Santner 3-66) by 60 runs.

Batters to score a hundred for New Zealand in the Champions Trophy, including Will Young (107) and Tom Latham (118*), who kicked off the 2025 edition with hundreds against hosts Pakistan.Nathan Astle's is the highest score of these,

Champions Trophy gets underway on Tuesday, with hosts Pakistan taking on New Zealand in Karachi. After a turbulent build-up, which was plagued by uncertainty over whether and where India would play their games,

New Zealand defeated Pakistan at the National Stadium in Karachi in the opening game of the Champions Trophy 2025. Tom Latham and Will Young scored a century each for the visitors while only two of the top six Pakistan batters batted at a strike rate over 100.

New Zealand triumphed over Pakistan by 60 runs in the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 held in Karachi.

Tom Latham hit an unbeaten 104-ball 118 while opener Young scored 107 from 113 balls as New Zealand — sent in to bat by Pakistan — made the most of a flat National Stadium pit

Tom Latham said that he is expected for a cracker of a game when New Zealand lock horns with Pakistan on February 19 at the National Stadium in Karachi.