Host and defending champions Pakistan finished last fourth position in Group A of the Champions Trophy 2025 after round matches. Green shirts lost their first two matches against New Zealand, arch-rival India while the last game against Bangladesh washout.

The loss against India, marking Pakistan’s sixth straight ODI defeat against India, exposed major flaws in their lineup, raising serious concerns about the team’s future.

Hosts and defending champion Pakistan became the first team to be eliminates from the Champions Trophy 2025 after suffering their second consecutive loss in the event. This was against arch-rivals India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium after having losing CT opener to New Zealand at Karachi.

The loss, marking Pakistan’s sixth straight ODI defeat against India, exposed major flaws in their line-up, raising serious concerns about the team’s future.

Unlike previous encounters where India’s bowlers produced exceptional performances, this time, they simply stuck to the basics. Pakistan, however, fell apart with poor shot selection, missed chances and erratic bowling.

Indian pacers, frequently referred to as ‘medium-pacers’ by Pakistani fans, consistently delivered accurate lengths while Pakistan’s bowlers faced challenges with their control. In the field, India’s sharpness was evident as they capitalised on every opportunity, in contrast to Pakistan, who faltered with four significant dropped catches.

Pakistan’s batters, rather than demonstrating discipline and resilience, failed to apply themselves effectively, contributing to their own downfall and simplifying India’s task. The margin of defeat once more highlighted Pakistan’s struggles to compete at the highest level.

Virat Kohli once again tormented Pakistan with a match-winning knock, reinforcing his dominance in this fixture. Over the years, he has single-handedly dismantled Pakistan’s bowling attacks, earning the reputation of being their ultimate nemesis.

While Kohli’s numbers against Pakistan are remarkable, they are not vastly different from his overall career stats. However, the psychological impact he has on the Pakistan team is undeniable.

Former Pakistan bowler Shoaib Akhtar was lost for words when India defeated the Men in Green in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The one-sided nature of the contest at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium once again proved that India have moved miles ahead of their arch-rivals. “It is a brainless and clueless management. I am really disappointed. What shall I say to kids (players)? The kids and management are similar. They don’t know what needs to be done. They don’t have intent and skill set like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. They can’t play like them. I am really disappointed. The management and players don’t know what is required. They just went to play without even knowing their roles. Once again, really disappointed,” Shoaib Akhtar said.

Criticism swiftly arose following the announcement of the squad. The Pakistan selectors opted to disregard pleas from former players and analysts to include a second spinner in the 15-man roster, ultimately selecting only Abrar Ahmed as the sole spinner. Instead, they relied on part-time spinners Salman Agha and Khushdil Shah, who collectively claimed just one wicket in two matches.

Additionally, the decision not to include a regular opener proved to be a misstep, as they riskily promoted an out-of-form Babar Azam to partner Fakhar Zaman. When Zaman sustained an injury, Imam-ul-Haq, who had not been part of the original squad, was called up.

In an unexpected decision, selectors included all-rounders Khushdil and Faheem Ashraf based on their performances in Bangladesh’s Twenty20 league, despite Ashraf having not played an ODI for two years and Khushdil for three.

Former Pakistan cricketers also accused Pakistan batsmen that they are playing outdated cricket. In 2025 Pakistan playing the cricket style of the 1980s and 1990s while other teams had progressed well to adopt an aggressive and modern style. The mindset of Pakistan players does not match with modern-day cricket.

Shahid Afridi, a former allrounder shared his thoughts on the team’s mindset, adding, “I knew this is going to happen. If you play cricket from 1980-90 mindset in 2025 then you will definitely lose the game”.

The Pakistan cricket team’s performance in white-ball formats has increasingly come under scrutiny, with one of the critical issues being the excessive number of dot balls. A dot ball refers to a delivery from which no runs are scored, and accumulating them can drastically hinder a team’s scoring potential.

Moreover, the reliance on aggressive batting in shorter formats has sometimes come at the expense of strategic game-play. While quick runs are essential, the ability to rotate the strike effectively is equally vital. By focusing on reducing dot balls, the team can maintain momentum, frustrate bowlers, and set up more competitive totals.

The ailment of playing too many dot balls also hurt them as Pakistan played 152 dot balls against India in scoring 241 in 49.4 overs, including a record 28 balls with no scores in the first six overs. Even in the first game against New Zealand, their total of 260 in 47.2 overs had 162 dot balls.

Rizwan had slog-swept Kuldeep Yadav for four off the first ball he had faced. His next boundary only came on the 49th delivery he faced off Ravindra Jadeja in the 25th over. Another - the third and last - came off Jadeja in the 27th. During overs 11 to 24, Rizwan faced 45 deliveries, and 29 of those were dots. He didn’t hit a single boundary, and got only 16 singles. When he was dismissed by Axar Patel in the 34th over, Rizwan’s partnership with Shakeel was worth 104, but it had taken 144 balls. Better strike rotation, which was not there was a massive fault.

Facing a target of 321 against New Zealand in their tournament opener, Pakistan had already encountered a similar challenge, accumulating 161 dot balls. In the high-stakes match against arch-rivals India, the situation remained the same as they faced 147 dot balls, underscoring the persistent pressure from India’s bowlers.

Despite a challenging 11-ball over from India’s Mohammed Shami, which included five wides, Pakistan’s batsmen struggled to capitalise, played 28 dot balls in the first six overs. The situation deteriorated further as, within the first 26 overs, Pakistan faced an astonishing 100 dot balls, highlighting the precision and fielding excellence of the Indian team.

When you play 25.2 overs of dot balls in a 50-over contest, it’s a worry. Pandya led the show with 31 dot balls in his 8 overs. India’s three pacers bowled 85 dot balls between them. Meanwhile, India bowled well as a unit and conceded just 14 fours and three sixes on the other hand.

Now, dot ball percentage did not use to be a big issue for elite teams and batters as they compensate with boundaries. Pakistan, however, haven’t been able to do that either. In 2025, their boundary percentage of 46.96 is only better than Bangladesh’s 40.08. With an early exit from the Champions Trophy, Pakistan now faces a wave of criticism back home. While immediate backlash is expected, the real challenge lies in addressing the systemic issues that led to this downfall.

Historically, Pakistan has opted for quick-fix solutions such as changing captains or making wholesale squad changes, rather than implementing meaningful reforms. Unless a long-term strategy is put in place, Pakistan may continue to struggle in major ICC events.

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