Rachin Ravindra made his Champions Trophy debut in place of the unwell Daryl Mitchell and ensured it was a memorable outing, smashing a century that powered New Zealand into the semifinals of yet another ICC tournament. With this victory, India also secured a semifinal spot from Group A, while defending champions and hosts Pakistan, along with Bangladesh, were eliminated. Ravindra’s superb 112 off 105 balls anchored New Zealand’s comfortable chase of Bangladesh’s 236, sealing the win by five wickets with 23 balls to spare.

Ravindra’s Brilliance Leads New Zealand’s Chase

Bangladesh made early inroads with Taskin Ahmed dismissing Will Young with a sharp inswinger, followed by Nahid Rana forcing Kane Williamson to edge behind. At 15/2, Bangladesh had a glimmer of hope, but Ravindra quickly dashed those aspirations.

He first steadied the innings with a 57-run stand alongside Devon Conway before Mustafizur Rahman removed the latter. However, Ravindra remained composed and aggressive, flicking the second ball he faced from Rana for a boundary. He soon took on Taskin, driving through the covers for two exquisite fours in an over, shifting the momentum back in New Zealand’s favor.

Conway also counter-attacked, smashing three boundaries off Rana in the following over, setting the chase on track. Ravindra reached his half-century with a commanding straight drive and then forged a crucial 129-run partnership with Tom Latham. The latter, fresh from a century in the previous game, played a supporting role, contributing a measured 55 off 73 balls.

While Latham’s cautious approach (only three boundaries) provided stability, Ravindra’s stroke play dominated proceedings. Bangladesh dropped him twice—both times after he had already put his team in the driver’s seat. By the time both set batters departed with New Zealand past the 200-run mark, the result was all but confirmed. Ravindra’s ton made him the leading New Zealand centurion in ICC ODI tournaments, surpassing Williamson.

Bangladesh’s Struggles with the Bat

In their must-win encounter, Bangladesh experienced a rollercoaster of an innings, ultimately managing a below-par total of 236. Opting to bat first, their openers began positively with a brisk 45-run stand. The Rawalpindi pitch had a reputation for high scores, but New Zealand’s disciplined bowling ensured Bangladesh never built momentum.

Leading the charge was off-spinner Michael Bracewell, who produced a match-defining spell of 4-26 in an unchanged 10-over spell. He initiated the collapse by dismissing Tanzid Hasan, who miscued a shot to midwicket.

The middle overs turned into a nightmare for Bangladesh, as wickets kept falling while their run rate stagnated. Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto was the lone batter to balance intent with execution, compiling a well-crafted 77. However, his teammates failed to support him.

After Mehidy Hasan gifted his wicket to Will O’Rourke, Bracewell ran through the middle order. Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Mahmudullah all perished while trying to accelerate, allowing Bracewell to claim career-best figures. Bangladesh slumped to 118/5, putting them in a dire situation.

Shanto attempted to fight back, but he, too, fell, mistiming a pull shot against O’Rourke. It was left to Jaker Ali and Rishad Hossain to provide a late flourish, adding crucial runs in the final 10 overs, scoring at more than six runs per over. Their resilience pushed Bangladesh past 200, but their total was never going to be enough against a determined New Zealand side led by the brilliance of Ravindra.

Match Summary

Bangladesh: 236/9 in 50 overs (Najmul Hossain Shanto 77, Jaker Ali 45; Michael Bracewell 4-26)
New Zealand: 240/5 in 46.1 overs (Rachin Ravindra 112, Tom Latham 55)
Result: New Zealand won by 5 wickets.

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