Pakistan Financial News

Champions Trophy title in style. Both India and New Zealand have tasted success in this tournament before. India's last triumph came in 2013, while they finished as runners-up to Pakistan in 2017. The Men in Blue also shared the title with Sri Lanka in 2002 after a rain-marred two-day final. New Zealand, on the other hand, won the Champions Trophy in 2000—then known as the ICC Knockout Trophy—defeating India in the final at Nairobi, Kenya. To this day, it remains the Black Caps’ only ICC limited-overs title.

Rohit Sharma and his deputy Shubman Gill stirred memories of cricketing legends Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar by becoming only the third opening pair to achieve a century-plus partnership in a Champions Trophy final. The atmosphere was electric as India faced New Zealand in front of a packed crowd in Dubai on March 8, both teams vying for the prestigious Champions Trophy. New Zealand, bolstered by a late innings rally from Daryl Mitchell (63) and Michael Bracewell (53-), managed to post a challenging total of 251/7. In response to this significant target, Rohit and Gill set a brisk pace for the chase with their dynamic batting. Rohit took the role of the aggressor while Gill balanced both an offensive and defensive approach. Together, they constructed a solid opening partnership of 105 runs, marking themselves as just the third pair in history to reach this milestone in a Champions Trophy final.

Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday accused the BJP of poisoning society and asked his supporters to respond to the ruling party's favoured 'Jai Shri Ram' slogan with 'Jai Shivaji' and 'Jai Bhavani'. He was addressing Sena (UBT) workers at an event here. «If anyone says Jai Shri Ram, do not let the person leave without making sure that he says Jai Shivaji and Jai Bhavani. »The BJP has poisoned our society. I am going to give the BJP a tough time for what they have done to our society," he said.

quadriceps strain while batting, the NZC said on Sunday. Mark Chapman has taken his place in the field. Williamson made 11 after New Zealand opted to bat and was out, offering a return catch to left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav. It is still not known what will be the extent of Williamson's lay-off after the quadriceps injury.

Rachin Ravindra etched his name in the history books before being dismissed for 37 off 29 balls in the Champions Trophy 2025 final against India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. With his knock, Rachin became the first New Zealand batter to score over 250 runs in a single edition of the tournament, surpassing Kane Williamson’s 244-run tally from 2017. Coming into the final, Rachin had already amassed 226 runs in three matches, including two centuries in Pakistan. He got off to a strong start in the final, racing to 25 off just 14 balls in the first five overs.

anti-India slogans during a cricket match in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district, they have claimed that the teen attended a madrasa for studies and wasn't interested in playing the sport or watching matches. On February 23, a complaint was lodged against the boy, his father, who is a scrap dealer, and his mother in the Tarkarli Road area of Malvan over the alleged raising of anti-India slogans during an India-Pakistan cricket match. The couple was arrested, and the teen was presented before a juvenile board. In the days that followed, the family's shop and house were razed by the civic authorities, who claimed that the structures were unauthorised.

This 'mini-World Cup' clash pits two of the most consistent yet often unlucky teams in ICC tournaments. Both nations are desperate for success after recent near-misses in major ODI finals—India falling short in the 2017 Champions Trophy and the 2023 World Cup, while New Zealand suffered heartbreaking defeats in the 2015 and 2019 World Cups. Adding some intrigue to the match is India's campaign, which has been slightly clouded by accusations of an “unfair advantage” due to all of their matches being scheduled at a single venue.

India and New Zealand at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. Captain winning the toss will likely want to bat first and put on a challenging total on the board to create scoreboard pressure in the big match. Batting first will also put the opponents in the heat for 50 overs. Further, there will be minimal due and batting second might not be advantageous.

India have come out as a dominant side in the eight-team spectacle as they are cruising on a winning momentum with four straight wins including a four-wicket triumph over Australia in the semifinal. The Men in Blue topped Group A with wins over Bangladesh, arch-rivals Pakistan, and New Zealand, while the Black Caps secured wins against Pakistan and Bangladesh before losing their final group tie against India. New Zealand outclassed South Africa by 50 runs in the semifinal to set up a title match against India.

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun ChakaravarthyNew Zealand: Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, William O’Rourke.India enjoy a 61-50 head-to-head record against New Zealand in ODIs. Seven games ended in no result while one finished in a tie. The last time both these teams met was during the group A fixture which India won by 44 runs.

Champions Trophy 2025 final is set to be a thrilling encounter between India and New Zealand on Sunday, March 9, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The match is scheduled to begin at 2:30 PM IST (5:00 AM ET), with the toss taking place at 2:00 PM IST.

Gen Upendra Dwivedi on Saturday said there is a «high degree of collusivity,» which must be accepted. «What it means, as far as I am concerned, the two-front threat is a reality,» he said in response to a question on proximity between China and Pakistan during an interactive session at the India Today Conclave here. During the session, he fielded a broad range of questions about the army's preparedness for the future, lessons from ongoing conflicts, the situation in Bangladesh, and at the Line of Actual Control and the Line of Control. «Now, the second thing that you have brought out is collaboration or the relationship between our western neighbour and Bangladesh.

Mohammed Shami will be a key player in focus, with a strong record in ICC knockouts. He is just one five-wicket haul away from overtaking Zaheer Khan's record for most wickets by an Indian in ICC knockout stages in ODIs. Shami has been a standout performer for India in this Champions Trophy, with eight wickets in four matches at an average of 19.87, with best figures of 5/53 against Pakistan. He is India's highest wicket-taker in the tournament and overall second-highest below New Zealand's Matt Henry (10). In ICC ODI knockout matches across 50-over World Cup and Champions Trophy, Shami has taken 13 scalps in five matches at an average of 19.76, with best figures of 7/57 against New Zealand in the 2023 World Cup semifinals at Wankhede Stadium.

ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand, Team India's head coach Gautam Gambhir outlined the reason behind shuffling the batting order and revealed that Axar's number five role allows him to express himself and exhibit his talent to the world. India will play New Zealand in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy on March 9 at the Dubai International Stadium. India is undefeated in the tournament so far, and the Kiwis have looked rock solid with bat and ball under Mitchell Santner's captaincy. The clash promises to be an epic sequel to the 2000 ICC Champions Trophy final, which New Zealand won. Men in Blue would like to avenge losses to the Blackcaps in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup semifinal and 2021 ICC World Test Championship final.

Rouse Avenue Court on Friday dismissed Delhi Law Minister Kapil Mishra's revision plea, in which he had challenged the trial court's cognizance and summoning order in a case related to an alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The trial court had taken cognizance of the charge sheet in 2020, which pertained to a statement allegedly made by Kapil Mishra in January 2020, when the MCC was in force during the Delhi Assembly elections. «The word 'Pakistan' is very skillfully weaved by the revisionist in his alleged statements to spew hatred, careless to communal polarisation that may ensue in the election campaign, only to garner votes,» the court said while dismissing the plea.

Thandel is a 2025 Telugu-language romantic action thriller, crafted by writer-director Chandoo Mondeti. Starring Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi, the film draws inspiration from a real-life 2018 incident, where a fisherman from Srikakulam was captured by Pakistani forces in international waters. Blending intense action with emotional depth, Thandel delivers a gripping narrative that intertwines patriotism, love, and survival. Originally slated for a Sankranthi 2025 release, the film was postponed before hitting theatres on 7 February 2025. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, Thandel struck a chord with audiences, raking in over ₹100 crores worldwide. It currently stands as the fourth highest-grossing Telugu film of the year and the eighth highest-grossing Indian film of 2025. Now, Thandel is available for streaming on Netflix. You can watch it for free by subscribing to the OTT platform.

Nobel laureate and education activist Malala Yousafzai has returned to her hometown of Barkana in Swat’s Shangla district for the first time in thirteen years. This visit carried deep significance, marking her first trip since she survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban in 2012. Accompanied by her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, and her husband, Asser Malik, Malala arrived in Barkana Shahpur by helicopter for a brief but meaningful visit. Her journey was not just personal but also a reaffirmation of her commitment to education and advocacy.

Zakir Naik, a polarizing Islamic preacher who is facing legal action in India over allegations of financial misconduct and promoting radical ideologies through inflammatory speeches. Hafeez went a step further by uploading images from their encounter on social media, a move that sparked widespread criticism and disappointment among netizens. As soon as the images surfaced online, social media users expressed strong disapproval. One individual, voicing their frustration, sarcastically remarked, «No surprise that your cricket is in shambles.» Another person provided a more pointed critique, highlighting the broader implications of Hafeez’s association with Naik. «This is exactly why the Indian cricket team and government are reluctant to visit Pakistan,» they commented. «The man in your picture is a fugitive wanted by Indian law enforcement.» Despite the backlash, Hafeez had shared the pictures with enthusiasm, captioning them with, «It was a pleasure meeting Zakir Naik.» In one image, Hafeez is seen standing beside Naik, dressed in a traditional brown kurta pajama. Another photograph captures them seated at a restaurant, with Hafeez appearing in a casual T-shirt. However, rather than receiving positive engagement, the post ignited a wave of online outrage.

Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that the BJP should take back parts of Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan as well as China. Abdullah, while speaking in the J&K assembly said that BJP keeps criticizing Congress for losing Haji Peer to Pakistan and other things, instead BJP should tell us what they brought back in the Kargil war in 1999 when they had the opportunity and excuse that Pakistan had attacked first. “One part of Kashmir is with Pakistan. Today Foreign Minister has said that they will take that back. Who has stopped you? We never said don't take back that part of Kashmir back. We are saying, why are you silent on the part that is with China?” Abdullah asked.

AFP Sport looks at five key factors that could decide the fate of the title clash.

David Miller said his team’s hop to Dubai and back ahead of t h e i r Champions Trophy semifinal defeat to New Zealand in Lahore was “not ideal”. The tangled scheduling of the event came into question as Australia and South Africa both had to fly to Dubai from Pakistan ahead of the semi-finals. South Africa were there for less than 24 hours before jetting back again without playing a game. Australia stayed and lost in the last four to India. The haphazard scheduling was a result of India playing all their games in Dubai after refusing to travel to Pakistan. “It’s only an hour and 40 minute flight, but the fact that we had to do that was not ideal,” Miller said after South Africa lost to New Zealand on Wednesday by 50 runs. South Africa made what was ultimately a wasted trip soon after defeating England in Karachi on Saturday. “It’s early morning, it’s after a game and we had to fly. Then we got to Dubai at 4:00 pm. And at 7.30 am we had to come back. It doesn’t make it nice.