Pakistan’s captain, Mohammad Rizwan, admitted that his team failed to make the most of winning the toss after their defeat to India in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 match on Sunday.
Rizwan explained that Pakistan had set a target of 280 runs but could only manage to post 240, with India’s bowlers dominating the middle overs. “When Saud Shakeel and I were batting, our plan was to take the game deep, but poor shot selection cost us wickets at crucial moments,” Rizwan said, acknowledging that Pakistan’s batting faltered under pressure from India’s bowlers.
The Pakistan captain also commended India’s batting, particularly the performances of Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill, who turned the game in India’s favor. “In ODI cricket, you need to perform in all three aspects of the game,” Rizwan noted, reflecting on his team’s struggles across the board.
Rizwan further pointed out recurring issues with Pakistan’s fielding, calling for improvement. “We’ve been making the same mistakes, especially in the field, and we need to address them going forward,” he said.
On the other hand, Indian captain Rohit Sharma praised his team’s collective effort in the victory, highlighting the performances of bowlers Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Ravindra Jadeja for their key role in restricting Pakistan to a low total.
“Our bowlers did well to keep Pakistan’s total low. The partnership between Saud Shakeel and Rizwan posed a challenge, but we stuck to our plans,” Sharma said.
Sharma also praised Virat Kohli’s match-winning performance, saying, “Virat batted brilliantly today, but honestly, none of us in the dressing room are surprised by his performance.”
