Ramiz Raja Blames ICC Schedule for Pakistan’s Champions Trophy 2025 Exit

In the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Pakistan faced an early exit after consecutive defeats against New Zealand and India. Former PCB chairman Ramiz Raja criticized the tournament schedule, questioning why Pakistan started their campaign against a strong New Zealand side instead of Bangladesh. He believed facing Bangladesh first would have eased pressure on Pakistan and balanced Group A competition.

Pakistan’s campaign began with a crushing 60-run defeat to New Zealand, increasing the importance of their next match against India. However, India dominated the high-pressure clash, winning by six wickets. Chasing a 242-run target, Virat Kohli led India’s charge with an unbeaten century — his 51st ODI hundred. During the innings, he also became the fastest batsman to reach 14,000 ODI runs. He said:

I wonder why Pakistan played their first match against New Zealand. They should have played their first match against Bangladesh. Even though Bangladesh is a strong side, it was still comparatively an easy match for them. They played against them in the opener and lost. The defeat created pressure on Pakistan. I don’t understand why Pakistan didn’t play their first match against Bangladesh or India. If that happened, the pressure would be equal.

Kohli’s knock showcased both composure and aggression, dismantling Pakistan’s bowling attack and securing victory with several overs to spare. Ramiz praised Kohli’s ability to challenge himself and adapt against every bowler. With these back-to-back losses, Pakistan was eliminated from the tournament, while India advanced to the semi-finals. The unexpected scheduling and Pakistan’s inability to perform under pressure left fans and experts questioning their strategy and preparation.