Pakistan and Bangladesh bowed out of the 2025 Champions Trophy winless after their final Group A match at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium was washed out on Thursday. The rain-abandoned game left both teams with just one point each.
Both Bangladesh and Pakistan, the tournament hosts and defending champions, were already eliminated from the eight-team competition after India and New Zealand secured semi-final spots, making this clash a dead rubber.
With the rain leading to a washout, this became the second game to be abandoned in Rawalpindi after the South Africa-Australia Group B match.
It had been drizzling in Rawalpindi for the past 24 hours, raising fears of a washout. An official inspection by on-field umpires Adrian Holdstock and Michael Gough was scheduled for 2:30 PM (IST), but persistent rain prevented it, delaying the toss.
At 4:00 PM (IST), the match was officially called off without a ball being bowled, and both teams shared a point.
Pakistan and Bangladesh had hoped to sign off from the 2025 Champions Trophy on a positive note. However, both teams suffered defeats against New Zealand and India, respectively, with their performances lacking in all three departments. Bangladesh’s bowling attack, though, was relatively better than Pakistan’s.
This also marks Pakistan’s third consecutive early exit from an ICC tournament, following their eliminations in the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup in India and the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies.
As for the 2025 Champions Trophy, one match remains in Group A, with India and New Zealand set to face off in Dubai on Sunday to determine the group toppers.
IANS
