India, NZ reach Champions Trophy semis; Pakistan, Bangladesh out
New Zealand and India secured semi-final spots in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, eliminating hosts Pakistan and Bangladesh from Group A.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner praised Michael Bracewell for his match-winning performance against Bangladesh. Bracewell’s brilliant spell of 4 for 26, including 43 dot balls, helped restrict Bangladesh to 236 for 9. Rachin Ravindra then sealed the chase with a superb 112 off 105 balls.
Bracewell struck in his first over, breaking Bangladesh’s strong start at 45 for 0. By the time he completed his ten-over spell, Bangladesh had crumbled to 119 for 5. He credited his success to experience gained from the previous tri-series against Pakistan and South Africa.
India reached the semi-finals for the sixth time, having previously made it in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2013, and 2017. New Zealand entered their fourth semi-final and their first since 2009.
Santner confirmed the team’s departure for Dubai on Tuesday morning, setting the stage for an intense knockout round.
