India outclassed Pakistan by six wickets in their second Champions Trophy 2025 Group A game, virtually eliminating the tournament hosts. Pakistan have now suffered two crushing defeats against New Zealand and Bangladesh, meaning that qualification fate is no longer in their hands. Pakistan managed to post a total of only 241 against India, a target which was chased down with 7.3 overs to spare. Former Pakistan cricketers Shoaib Akhtar and Ramiz Raja slammed the team's approach and the management, with Akhtar revealing that he wasn't at all surprised by the result.
Akhtar ripped into the Pakistan team management, heavily criticising the decisions taken by them in terms of selection.
"You might think I'll be very disappointed, but I am not disappointed at all (by the result). Reason why? I knew this would happen. You do not select a good fifth bowler. You go with an all-rounder. I don't know what you're thinking. Brainless, clueless management," Akhtar said, in a video posted on his X account.
"What do I even tell the boys? They are just as bad as the management. They don't know what they're doing. It is one thing to have intent, but they do not have the skillset to pull it off," Akhtar remarked.
"How can they play like Virat (Kohli), Rohit (Sharma) or Shubman Gill?" Akhtar said firmly.
Pakistan's heavy defeat - following on from their 60-run loss to New Zealand - resigns them to near elimination. Should New Zealand beat Bangladesh, Pakistan's elimination will be confirmed.
In what is Pakistan's first major ICC tournament as hosts in nearly three decades, the performance by the Mohammad Rizwan-led side has been far from ideal.
1992 World Cup winner and former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja was equally disappointed.
"Pakistan has been pedestrian today. You are not going to win the tournament with just one spinner. They knew what the conditions were going to be like, but they have not picked the right team," Ramiz Raja said, speaking on BBC.
Pakistan lost two early wickets inside the powerplay, headlined by Babar Azam's dismissal for a low score again.
Captain Mohammad Rizwan (46 off 77 balls) and Saud Shakeel (62 off 76) batted for 24 overs, but let the scoring rate drop well below 5 and even below 4 at one stage.
With the ball, Pakistan appeared to lack the aggression, and bar a few moments of magic, posed no threat to the Indian batting.