"He doesn't play for my country is a privilege and flex"-Top 10 funny memes after Pakistan's thumping loss vs New Zealand in ICC Champions Trophy 2025

New Zealand beat Pakistan by 60 runs in the curtain raiser of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on Wednesday (February 19) at the National Stadium in Karachi. Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan won the toss and opted to bowl first, which proved to be a poor call in hindsight.

Riding on the centuries from Will Young (107) and Tom Latham (118*), New Zealand scaled a massive total of 320/5 in 50 overs. Glenn Phillips assisted the duo with a fiery knock of 61 (39), providing the finishing touches to the innings. Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf picked up two wickets each for Pakistan with the ball.

In response, Pakistan never looked threatening to chase the target due to a timid effort from the batting unit. Stalwarts Babar Azam (64 in 90 balls) and Fakhar Zaman (24 in 41 balls) struggled to get going. Their knocks hurt the hosts' chances in the steep chase as the required rate kept going north steadily.

Salman Agha (42 in 28 balls) and Khushdil Shah (69 in 49 balls) tried their best to inject momentum into the innings. However, the target proved out of their reach. Pakistan eventually got all out for 260 in 47.2 overs and began the Champions Trophy with a dismal loss.

Fans enjoyed the contest between the two teams on Wednesday and reacted by sharing memes on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. One of the memes trolling Babar Azam for a slow knock in the second innings read:

"He doesn't play for my country is a privilege and flex"

Here are some of the best memes related to the game:

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"280 seemed to be about par on this surface"- New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner after win vs Pakistan ICC Champions Trophy 2025 opener

At the post-match presentation, New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner reflected on the win and said:

"We went on really well with the bat. Young and Latham were excellent. Phillips towards the end gave us some great impetus. 280 seemed to be about par on this surface but the partnerships always help. After the score we got on the board, our two seamers were unbelievable in the powerplay. We squeezed the runs and we were able to chip in with the wickets throughout."

He continued:

"Was important for us to get rid of Rizwan and Fakhar. It helped us to keep them under check in the middle overs. The Tri-Series gave us exposure and we are familiar with the conditions now. The slightly shorter length works here and the spinners need to bowl slower and that helps their cause. It was a tough wicket to start on and we had to do the hard yards."

Team India will face Bangladesh in the second match of Champions Trophy 2025 on Thursday (February 20) in Dubai.