The ICC Champions Trophy kicks off today with defending champions and hosts Pakistan taking on high-flying New Zealand at the National Stadium in Karachi.

Pakistan have been knocked out in the group stage at the last two ICC Men's Cricket World Cups and suffered the same fate at last year's ICC Men's T20 World Cup after losing to co-hosts USA.

Pakistan have won the toss in Karachi and have decided to field against New Zealand in the first match of the Champions Trophy 2025.

Pakistan holds a 61-53 edge over New Zealand in ODIs. Explore their head-to-head record, top matches, and key moments.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy kicked off in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi on Wednesday, marking the first-ever major sports event in the country after a 29-year hiatus. Following a flypast by Pakistan Air Force aircraft, President Asif Ali Zardari, along with his daughter Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, inaugurated the event.

India’s Virat Kohli and captain Rohit Sharma celebrate with the trophy after winning the ICC men’s Twenty20 World Cup 2024 final cricket match between India and South Africa at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, on June 29, 2024. — AFP/File

Al Jazeera takes a close look at hosts Pakistan against New Zealand before their Champions Trophy opener on Wednesday.

India batter Shubman Gill goes into the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 as the top-ranked ODI batter after overtaking Pakistan’s Babar Azam in the latest weekly rankings update carried out on Wednesday.

Pakistan’s 29-year wait to host a major International Cricket Council tournament ended Wednesday when it won the toss and elected to field in the Champions Trophy opener against New Zealand in Karachi

Pakistan's largest city was abuzz with anticipation and apprehension Wednesday as the hosts played the opening match of the nation's first major international cricket tournament in three decades. Pakistan last held a major international tournament as World Cup co-hosts with India and Sri Lanka in 1996.