New Zealand’s captain, Mitchell Santner, won the toss and opted to field first in their Group A match against Bangladesh in the Champions Trophy on Monday.
A victory for New Zealand would secure semifinal spots for both themselves and India, effectively eliminating Pakistan from the competition.
Pakistan faced a defeat against their rivals India, losing by six wickets in Dubai on Sunday, where Virat Kohli made a remarkable unbeaten century to lead his team to victory.
Since their arrival in Pakistan earlier this month, the Black Caps have demonstrated strong performance. They triumphed in the tri-nation series that also included South Africa. Additionally, New Zealand kicked off their Champions Trophy campaign by defeating Pakistan by 60 runs in their first match in Karachi.
Rachin Ravindra, who faced a head injury during the tri-nation series, made a comeback and was one of the two changes in New Zealand’s lineup, replacing Daryl Mitchell.
In another adjustment, fast bowler Kyle Jamieson, who stepped in for the injured Lockie Ferguson, made his tournament debut, taking the place of Nathan Smith.
Bangladesh, recalling positive experiences from the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium where they achieved a notable 2-0 test series victory over Pakistan late last year, faced a tough start losing their opening match against India in Dubai last week.
Towhid Hridoy’s century, after 34 balls, rescued Bangladesh from a precarious situation, as they struggled at 35 for 5 during the powerplay against India.
Bangladesh also changed their lineup, bringing in seasoned player Mahmudullah and fast bowler Nahid Rana to replace Soumya Sarkar and Tanzim Hasan.
**Lineups:**
**Bangladesh:** Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Nahid Rana.
**New Zealand:** Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (captain), Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Will O’Rourke.
