Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has picked New Zealand’s death bowling as their weakness ahead of their 2025 Champions Trophy clash against Pakistan as well. He again shared that the Kiwis will miss Lockie Ferguson due to injury, with Tim Southee and Trent Boult also no longer part of the team as well. However, New Zealand will play against Pakistan in the 2025 Champions Trophy opener in Karachi on Wednesday, February 19 as well.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel ‘Aakash Chopra’, he said, “I see only one weakness, which is actually a weakness, and that’s their death bowling. Lockie Ferguson is not there now. Kyle Jamieson is in. Tim Southee and Trent Boult are also not there now, not that they were the greatest death bowlers, but they were there. In the bowling now, they have Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Jamieson and Will O’Rourke. Death bowling is a little bit of a concern. They might get stuck a little there. There is a possibility.”

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In the same video, Aakash Chopra also stated that the 2025 Champions Trophy gives New Zealand an opportunity to win the title in Mitchell
Santner’s first ICC event as captain as well.

“They are playing their first ICC event under Mitchell Santner’s captaincy. So, of course, there is an opportunity. They have already lifted the tri-nation series trophy. So they know what to do. Opportunities are immense. This is the team that can actually go and lift the trophy. They reach close to the trophy in men’s ICC events but are unable to lift the trophy many times. So this is what they can do now. If they beat Pakistan, they will qualify as well because they have to play Bangladesh after that,” Aakash Chopra concluded.