Bangladesh's goal is to stay alive, while New Zealand's is to reach the semifinals.

Big picture: New Zealand primed for semi-finals New Zealand are in their element. They entered the Champions Trophy after winning the tri-series title without losing to South Africa or Pakistan, whom they defeated convincingly in the tournament's opening match. Before Matt Henry and Will O'Rourke stifled Pakistan on the powerplay, Will Young and Tom Latham scored centuries to set up a score of over 300. Their three spinners tightened the grip with impactful spells and the contest fizzled out early in the chase. It was a near-perfect performance from a well-drilled unit. After losing several frontline bowlers to injuries prior to the tournament, a second victory in Rawalpindi against familiar opponents Bangladesh will greatly improve their chances of reaching the semi-finals. This is an admirable achievement. Bangladesh's ODI side has lost its mojo in the last couple of years. Their top order includes Soumya Sarkar and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, both of whom bagged ducks as they slumped to 35 for 5 against India. If Rohit Sharma hadn't dropped Jaker Ali, who scored 68, from the first ball, they might not have reached 228. Towhid Hridoy scored his first ODI century, but cramps kept him from finishing his innings. Fortunately for him, Rawalpindi will be cooler than Dubai. Bangladesh will also be buoyed by the news that their senior batter Mahmudullah is likely to play against New Zealand after missing out against India with a hamstring niggle. Bangladesh's bowling was steady against India but they need more from the likes of Taskin Ahmed, Rishad Hossain and Mehidy Hasan Miraz. They could also do with more firepower in Nahid Rana, their fastest bowler. New Zealand have never faced him before, so the surprise factor could be to Bangladesh's advantage in a game they must win to keep their Champions Trophy campaign alive. Glenn Phillips and Towhid Hridoy are in the spotlight. The impressive Towhid Hridoy had been waiting a long time for a century. He has not scored in 34 matches in more than two years. He showed off his shots despite being put to the test by a powerful Indian attack. He has the confidence to keep going now that he has scored a hundred, but Bangladesh will be hoping for more durability from him after he cramped up and struggled to make an impression toward the end of his innings in Dubai. Glenn Phillips is a lightning-fast cricket player. One of the tournament's highlights was his catch to send Mohammad Rizwan off in Karachi, leaping high and to his left at the backward point. It was an effort that would make the best goalkeepers envious. His fielding aside, Phillips' attacking batting down the order gives New Zealand acceleration towards the end of their innings. He is also a capable offspinner and he can keep wickets too. Is there anything Phillips can't do? Stats and trivia: Bangladesh's most frequent ODI opponents Bangladesh beat New Zealand in their previous Champions Trophy meeting, in Cardiff in 2017. The head-to-head record in the competition thus stands at 1-1. New Zealand have been Bangladesh's most frequent opponents in ODIs since 2015. With 17 victories and just three defeats in 21 matches, New Zealand has dominated the head-to-head. Young and Latham became the second New Zealand pair to score centuries in a single ICC ODI match, this time against Pakistan. The first pair was Ravindra and Conway, who hit hundreds against England in the 2023 ODI World Cup. Bangladesh's sixth wicket partnership of 154 runs between Jaker and Hridoy against India was a record. Jaker and Mahmudullah had previously added 150 to their partnership for that wicket in Bangladesh's previous ODI against West Indies in December 2024.