Pakistan’s Champions Trophy 2025 campaign is hanging by a thread. After a chastening six-wicket loss to India, Mohammad Rizwan didn’t sugarcoat the situation. In a brutally honest admission, the Pakistan captain accepted that his team is almost out of the tournament.
With back-to-back defeats against New Zealand and India, Pakistan now finds itself in a familiar, frustrating situation—relying on other teams’ results to have a slim chance of survival.
“We Can Say It’s Over” – Rizwan’s Candid Admission
Mohammad Rizwan didn’t hold back in the post-match press conference. His disappointment was evident.
“We can say for now that it is over. That is the truth. We’ll see what Bangladesh does with New Zealand, then New Zealand with India, and then what we do. But it’s a long road and depends on other teams,” he admitted.
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But relying on other teams’ results? That’s not something Rizwan likes. “As a captain, I don’t like depending on others. If you’re good enough, you show it by winning and keeping things in your hands.”
Unfortunately, Pakistan didn’t do that. They lost to New Zealand by 60 runs in their opener. Then, against India, they fell short again—this time by six wickets.
Same Old Mistakes, Same Old Story
Mohammad Rizwan acknowledged that Pakistan’s issues aren’t new. They’ve been making the same mistakes for a while now. “We made mistakes in all three departments, that is why we lost today,” he admitted.
The batting approach was questionable. Pakistan had targeted 270-280 on a slow pitch, but their execution fell apart. Rizwan and Saud Shakeel tried to build a partnership, but poor shot selection and pressure led to quick wickets.
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And then came the moment that will haunt Rizwan himself—his 77-ball 46. It was slow, much like Babar Azam’s innings against New Zealand, and ended at a crucial time. The middle order collapsed, and Pakistan never recovered.
“We made mistakes we’ve been making in the last few matches. These aren’t new mistakes. We’ve been making them in the last four games,” Rizwan added.
What’s Next for Pakistan?
Pakistan still has one group game left against Bangladesh, but their fate is no longer in their own hands. If New Zealand beats Bangladesh in Rawalpindi, Pakistan’s exit will be sealed.
If that happens, this will be Pakistan’s third straight early exit in an ICC white-ball tournament—something that will raise serious questions about their approach in big events.
For now, Rizwan and his team can only wait and hope. But as the captain himself said, depending on other teams is never an ideal place to be.
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