Bangladesh vs New Zealand Toss Update, Champions Trophy 2025: Find out Playing 11 as NZ Opt to Field First

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Bangladesh vs New Zealand Toss Update, Champions Trophy 2025: New Zealand have won the toss and opted to field first in the crucial Champions Trophy encounter against Bangladesh at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on February 24.

Mitch Santner cited the potential for dew later in the game as a key factor in his decision, as teams chasing have generally had an advantage in night matches here. Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto also admitted that he would have preferred to bowl first, but his team will now need to put up a strong total to challenge the Kiwis.

What Did Captains Say About Toss?

Mitch Santner (New Zealand captain): "We'll bowl first, looks like a good wicket. We trained a lot in different grounds, but there might be some dew in here. Two changes here - Kyle Jamieson in for Nathan Smith, and Rachin Ravindra is back in. Always good to play in conditions where you will be playing an eventual tournament in the lead-up."

Najmul Hossain Shanto (Bangladesh captain): "Would have liked to bowl as well. Two changes for us – Mahmudullah is back in for us. Nahid Rana is in for us as well. Soumya Sarkar and Tanzid Shakib are out. The way we fought back against India after that collapse gives us a lot of confidence."

Bangladesh vs New Zealand: Playing 11s

Bangladesh have made two changes to their XI, bringing in the experienced Mahmudullah and Nahid Rana, while Soumya Sarkar and Tanzid Hasan miss out. New Zealand have also made a couple of adjustments, with Kyle Jamieson replacing Nathan Smith, and Rachin Ravindra returning to strengthen the side. The Black Caps have looked in solid form so far, and their top-order batters will be confident of chasing any target set for them. Bangladesh, on the other hand, are fighting to stay alive in the tournament and will be looking for a much-improved all-round performance.

Bangladesh Playing 11: Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim †, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Nahid Rana

New Zealand Playing 11: Will Young, Devon Conway †, Kane Williamson, Tom Latham, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Will O’Rourke, Kyle Jamieson

Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium Pitch Report

The Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium has provided high-scoring matches in this Champions Trophy, and another big total could be on the cards. The pitch is expected to be batting-friendly, with good pace and bounce early on, making strokeplay easier.

However, under the lights, bowlers might get some movement, and spinners could play a role as the match progresses. Dew is likely to come into play in the second innings, making bowling more challenging for the team defending a total. Given the trend so far, a score of 280+ should be competitive, but chasing teams have found success at this venue.