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Bangladesh’s hopes of advancing in the Champions Trophy were dashed on Monday, as they suffered a five-wicket defeat to New Zealand at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The loss ended their campaign, while host nation Pakistan, having lost their first two matches, was also eliminated from the tournament. New Zealand, with back-to-back victories, secured a semi-final spot, joining India, who also won both of their matches. Bangladesh will face Pakistan in a dead rubber on 27 February in Rawalpindi.
Bangladesh captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto had expressed their ambition to win the Champions Trophy, but the team’s reality fell short. After a poor batting performance against India in the opening match, Bangladesh repeated their struggles in the second game against New Zealand. Their total of 236 for nine, though somewhat modest, reflected a lack of momentum and consistency, especially as they faced a collapse in the middle overs.
Having lost the toss and asked to bat first, Bangladesh endured another difficult start, mirroring their struggles against India. Shanto and Zakir Ali Anik were the standout performers, both scoring half-centuries. Tanzid Hasan Tamim contributed early, while Rishad Hossain played a quick cameo at the end. However, the batting line-up faltered under pressure, accumulating 181 dot balls out of 300 deliveries, which severely limited their scoring rate.
In response, New Zealand got off to a shaky start, losing two early wickets. Taskin Ahmed removed Will Young, and Kane Williamson followed soon after. But Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra steadied the chase. Ravindra’s exceptional knock of 112 runs off 105 balls, coupled with Tom Latham’s 55 off 76, helped New Zealand reach the target in 46.1 overs, with 23 balls to spare. Glenn Phillips and Michael Bracewell finished the job, with Phillips remaining unbeaten on 21 and Bracewell contributing 11 not out.
Taskin, Nahid, Mustafizur, and Rishad each claimed a wicket for Bangladesh, but the damage had already been done by New Zealand’s middle-order.
In Bangladesh’s innings, Shanto and Tanzid were promoted as the new opening pair, following Soumya Sarkar’s exclusion. Tanzid started aggressively but was dismissed for 24. Mehidy Hasan Miraz also fell cheaply, and Towhid Hridoy, who had scored a century in the previous match, struggled to find form, getting out for just 7. Mushfiqur Rahim was dismissed for a reckless two runs, and Mahmudullah Riyad’s dismissal at 118 left Bangladesh in further trouble.
Shanto, however, remained resilient, scoring a team-high 77 runs off 110 balls, with nine boundaries. He shared a 45-run stand with Zakir Ali Anik, who made 45 runs off 55 balls before being run out in the final overs. Rishad Hossain contributed 26 runs off 25 balls, while Taskin Ahmed made 10.
For New Zealand, Michael Bracewell was the standout bowler, taking a career-best four for 26 in 10 overs, marking the best performance by a New Zealand spinner in Champions Trophy history. Will O’Rourke took two wickets, while Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson each claimed one.
With the loss, Bangladesh’s journey in the Champions Trophy comes to an end, leaving them to face Pakistan in a match that holds no bearing on the tournament standings.
