Pakistan cricket team is set to face arch-rivals India in a must-win ICC Champions Trophy 2025 encounter on February 23 in Dubai, however, there are concerns about the weather disrupting the game.
With Pakistan reeling from a crushing 60-run loss against New Zealand, this fixture is do-or-die for Mohammad Rizwan’s men, who currently sit at the bottom of Group A with zero points and an NRR of -1.2.
India, on the other hand, started their campaign strong, chasing down Bangladesh’s 229-run target with ease, thanks to Shubman Gill’s century. They sit second in the group with two points and an NRR of 0.4.
With the weather in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) transitioning away from winter, cloudy conditions and occasional showers have been reported in some areas.
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On February 18, Dubai even witnessed rainfall, raising concerns that the weather might impact India’s opener against Bangladesh. Luckily, the match went ahead as planned.
For February 23, the National Centre of Meteorology predicts fair to partly cloudy skies, with a slight chance of light rain in some northern areas. However, in Dubai, the probability of rain remains just 1%, with 27% cloud cover and wind gusts of 30 km/h.
Nevertheless, if the game gets washed out, both Pakistan and India will share one point each, making the Green Shirt’s qualification scenario trickier.
For Pakistan to keep hope alive, they must secure a decisive victory over Bangladesh, ideally with a significant margin to elevate their net run rate (NRR).
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However, they would also need to rely on New Zealand’s results, wishing for them to triumph over both India and Bangladesh.
In this case, Pakistan and India would find themselves tied on points, and the net run rate (NRR) will determine which team will join New Zealand in the semi-finals.
Another possible scenario is Bangladesh beating New Zealand while Pakistan secure a victory over Bangladesh. In this case, both Pakistan and India will qualify for the semi-finals.
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