Pakistan and New Zealand will be taking on each other in the first game of the much-awaited tri-series. The third team to participate in the series is South Africa. The series opener is scheduled to be played on Saturday (February 8) at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Both teams will be playing an ODI in Lahore for the first time since 2003. While New Zealand did visit Pakistan in 2003 and played three ODIs, they did not play any match in Lahore. The series is crucial for all the teams as it will be their last series before they participate in the all-important ICC Champions Trophy.
With the tournament to take place in Pakistan and UAE, the hosts as well as New Zealand and Pakistan will be keen to make the most of the series and prepare well for the marquee ICC event. So as New Zealand and Pakistan gear up for the first match of the ODI tri-series, here are all the predictions for the game.
PAK vs NZ Match Prediction: Who will win the 1st ODI? Pakistan ODI Tri-Series, 2025
Match Details
Match: PAK vs NZ, 1st ODI
Date: February 8, 2025
Time: 02:30 PM IST
Venue: Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
Live streaming: JioTV
Live broadcast: Sony Sports Network
PAK vs NZ Match Prediction—Head-to-Head Record
No team has managed to get a clear upper hand in this rivalry although Pakistan have performed slightly better than New Zealand. Of the 116 ODIs between the two teams so far, Pakistan have won 61 while New Zealand have managed to win 51. In recent games, Pakistan have won 4 of the last five 5 ODIs against New Zealand while losing just once.
Total ODI Matches Played: 116
Pakistan Won: 61
New Zealand Won: 51t
Last 5 Matches: Pakistan- 4 wins | New Zealand- 1 win
Pitch Report & Conditions
Batting-Friendly: A typical subcontinental surface, the pitch at the Gaddafi Stadium is ideal for batting. Pacers will get very little help from the surface and it will make the batsmen’s lives easier. Spinners, on the other hand, could make an impact in the PAK vs NZ game thanks to the slow surface.
Dew Factor: Dew could turn out to be a big factor in the game. Both the teams will be willing to chase because of the dew.
Average 1st Innings Score: 253
Chasing Record:
Toss has not really made a big difference in deciding the outcome of the games at the Gaddafi Stadium as teams batting first and second have almost the same win percentage at the venue. Teams batting first have won 34 ODIs while teams batting second have emerged victorious on 31 occasions.
Weather Report
There is no prediction for rain during the game day in Lahore. So, the match is unlikely to witness any interruption. The temperature will be hovering between 20-22 degrees Celsius during the first half of the game and will be less than 20 after the sunset.
PAK vs NZ Match Prediction – Pakistan and New Zealand Probable XIs
Pakistan Playing 11:
Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (c), Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
New Zealand Playing 11:
Will Young/Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson
Form and Fitness
There is no injury concern for either of the two teams as of now.
Score Prediction
| Team | 1st Innings | 2nd Innings |
| PAK | 300-310 | 280-290 |
| NZ | 250-260 | 220-230 |
PAK vs NZ Players to perform prediction
PAK: Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Haris Rauf, and Shaheen Afridi will be the key players for Pakistan.
NZ: Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Will Young, Mitchell Santner, and Lockie Ferguson will be the key players for New Zealand.
PAK vs NZ Best Batsman Prediction
Who will score the most runs for PAK in the match: Mohammad Rizwan or Saud Shakeel
Who will score the most runs for NZ in the match: Rachin Ravindra or Kane Williamson
PAK vs NZ Best Bowler Prediction
Who will pick the most wickets for PAK in the match: Haris Rauf or Abrar Ahmed
Who will pick the most wickets for NZ in the match: Lockie Ferguson or Rachin Ravindra
Conclusion: Who will win the match?
Pakistan will start the game as favorites and is expected to beat New Zealand in the upcoming 1st match of the ODI tri-series.