Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan acknowledged his team’s shortcomings after their six-wicket defeat to India in a crucial ICC Champions Trophy match in Dubai, leaving their title defence hanging by a thread.
Needing a victory to stay in control of their fate, Pakistan faltered despite winning the toss. Their batting lacked momentum, and the bowling unit failed to capitalize on early breakthroughs. In contrast, India’s spinners stifled Pakistan’s top order, while Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 51st ODI century guided India to a comfortable chase.
Speaking after the loss, Rizwan was candid about his side’s underwhelming performance:
“We won the toss, but we didn’t get the benefit of the toss. Their (India) bowlers bowled very well. And Saud Shakeel, I wanted to take it deep. Poor shot selection. They put us under pressure. Whenever you lose, you don’t perform in all departments.”
Pakistan’s hopes briefly surged when Shaheen Afridi bowled Indian skipper Rohit Sharma in the powerplay. However, India quickly regained control through a 69-run partnership between Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli. Dropped catches further dented Pakistan’s defense.
“We wanted to squeeze, but we couldn’t. Kohli and Gill batted very well and took the game away. We need to improve our fielding. We made a lot of mistakes in this match,” Rizwan added.
With this defeat, Pakistan’s chances of advancing to the semifinals are slim. A New Zealand win over Bangladesh on Monday in Rawalpindi would officially end Pakistan’s Champions Trophy campaign. Pakistan will conclude their group stage against Bangladesh on Thursday in Rawalpindi, hoping to end on a positive note despite the disappointment.