Rachin Ravindra made the most of his Champions Trophy debut, stepping up in Daryl Mitchell’s absence with a match-winning century that secured New Zealand’s place in yet another ICC tournament semifinal. Alongside them, India also advanced from Group A, while defending champions and hosts Pakistan, along with Bangladesh, were eliminated.
Chasing Bangladesh’s 236, Ravindra anchored New Zealand’s innings with a fluent 112 off 105 balls, guiding them to a comfortable five-wicket victory with 23 balls to spare. Bangladesh had an early breakthrough when Taskin Ahmed bowled Will Young and Nahid Rana removed Kane Williamson, reducing New Zealand to 15/2. However, Ravindra steadied the innings with a crucial 57-run stand alongside Devon Conway before forming a match-defining 129-run partnership with Tom Latham.
Latham, coming off a century in the previous match, played a steady knock of 55, complementing Ravindra’s aggression. Despite being dropped twice, Ravindra ensured New Zealand had no further setbacks, surpassing Williamson as the team’s leading centurion in ICC ODI tournaments.
Earlier, Bangladesh’s batting saw fluctuations as they posted 236/9 after opting to bat. Openers added a brisk 45-run stand, but New Zealand’s spinners, led by Michael Bracewell (4-26), turned the tide. Bracewell’s 10-over spell triggered a collapse, with key wickets including Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Mahmudullah. Only captain Najmul Hossain Shanto (77) provided resistance before falling to Will O’Rourke. A late fightback from Jaker Ali (45) and Rishad Hossain pushed Bangladesh past 200, but it wasn’t enough against a dominant New Zealand side.
Brief Scores:
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
