Pakistan is set to take on India in the 5th match of the ICC Champions Trophy.
Do-or-Die Situation for Pakistan: ICC Champions Trophy latest news: The match between Pakistan and India on Sunday will be a make for break game for Pakistan. Pakistan is set to take on India in the 5th match of the ICC Champions Trophy. Pakistan lost its first match of the tournament against New Zealand by 60 runs. If Pakistan loses the match against India, it will possibly be knocked out of the tournament. Meanwhile, India won its match against Bangladesh with a comfortable six-wicket victory.
If Pakistan loses to India on February 23, it will have two losses in the group stage. This will make qualification very difficult, as Pakistan would then have to rely on other teams' results and Net Run Rate (NRR), if only it wins its third match against Bangladesh.
The eight participating teams in the Champions Trophy each have to play three matches in the group stage—one against every other team in their group. After these three matches, the top two teams from each group (based on points and Net Run Rate) qualify for the semi-finals.
Scenarios for Qualification/Elimination:
A team with two or more wins usually qualifies for the semi-finals.
A team with two losses might get eliminated, depending on other results.
A team with three losses is 100% eliminated from the tournament.
The match against India is a "do-or-die" situation because a loss will put Pakistan on the brink of elimination.
The match is set to take place at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, February 23. Match will start at 2:30pm. Due to political tensions between the two nations, India has chosen to play all its matches in Dubai, instead of in the host country, Pakistan—including the semi-finals and the final, if it qualifies.
As of now, New Zealand tops Group A of the tournament, followed by India. The top two teams from each of the two groups will advance to the semi-finals.
Pakistan’s players must be under immense pressure, as in their opening match, they lost by 60 runs. New Zealand set Pakistan a target of 321 runs, and Pakistan was all out for 260. Therefore, this will be a crucial game for Pakistan to stay in the tournament.
To make matters worse for Pakistan, its premier batsman, Fakhar Zaman, suffered a muscle injury while playing against New Zealand at the start of the campaign and has been ruled out of the tournament.
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