Pakistan’s white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan admitted his team’s shortcomings after their defeat against arch-rivals India in the Champions Trophy 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Rizwan acknowledged that Pakistan failed to capitalize on the toss advantage, allowing India’s bowlers to dominate.
"We won the toss, but we didn't get the benefit of it. Their bowlers bowled very well. Saud Shakeel and I wanted to take the game deep, but our shot selection let us down. They put us under pressure," Rizwan stated.
The wicketkeeper-batter also highlighted Pakistan’s fielding lapses, which significantly contributed to their defeat.
"Whenever you lose, it means you didn’t perform well in all departments. We wanted to squeeze them, but we couldn't. Kohli and Gill batted very well and took the game away from us. We need to improve in our fielding as we made a lot of mistakes," he added.
It is pertinent that Pakistan's loss to India marked their second consecutive defeat in the tournament, following a 60-run loss to New Zealand in their opening match in Karachi.
The back-to-back losses have raised concerns about Pakistan’s performance and strategy, as they now are on the brink of extinction in the Champions Trophy 2025.