Champions Trophy 2025: Pakistan vs New Zealand, Match 1 - Top player battles to watch out for

The first match of the Champions Trophy is going to take place at the National Stadium in Karachi on Wednesday, February 19. The two teams who will be facing each other will be hosts and defending champions Pakistan and New Zealand. This will be the match that will kickstart proceedings in the first ICC tournament in Pakistan since 1996.

These two teams are one of the best teams in international cricket which also shows us the matchups between some top players in ODI cricket. It is time to discuss the best head-to-head stats from players featuring in both teams. Some world-class bowlers and batters will be featured in the upcoming match and it will be interesting to see which players are most likely to have a battle to watch out for in the opener of the ICC event.

Here are the top three player battles to look forward to from Pakistan vs New Zealand clash: 

3. Mohammad Rizwan vs Mitchell Santner

The battle of the two skippers will be something to witness in the upcoming tournament. Mohammad Rizwan has been one of the top batters for Pakistan in all three formats so far and has made valuable contributions in the middle order. Mitchell Santner has also proved to be one of the top spinners for the Blackcaps known for his incredible accuracy.

Speaking of the battle between the two players Mitchell Santner has given the star wicketkeeper a tough fight in the ODI format. Santner has so far bowled 11 overs to Rizwan and has dismissed him twice. Rizwan has an average of 17.50 against Santner and has a low strike rate of 53.03.