After defeating Bangladesh by five wickets in a pivotal Group A encounter, New Zealand guaranteed their place in the ICC Champions Trophy semi-finals.
In addition to helping the Kiwis advance, the win eliminated host and reigning champion Pakistan from the competition in the opening round.
New Zealand wins thanks to Ravindra's century
In the 47th over, New Zealand crossed the finish line after chasing a target of 237 runs set by Bangladesh. Rachin Ravindra was the game's most impressive player, leading the chase with an incredible 112-run knock. With a consistent 55, Tom Latham offered strong support, and Devon Conway added 30 runs.
Bangladesh scored 236/9 in the 50 overs they were given after batting first. With a tough 77, captain Najmul Hossain Shanto led the way, and Zakir Hossain added 45 runs. But their score was not enough to match the depth of New Zealand's batting.
Brilliant Bracewell
Bangladesh was largely restrained by New Zealand's bowling assault, which was spearheaded by Michael Bracewell. Bracewell had a fantastic stint, taking four vital wickets and keeping Bangladesh under pressure all through their innings.
Semi-final lineup
With this win, Bangladesh and Pakistan are out of the tournament, while New Zealand advances to the semi-finals from Group A, joining India. In order to guarantee a place in the final, the Kiwis will now play Bangladesh in the semi-final.
Being the hosts and reigning champions, Pakistan is extremely disappointed by the early exit. The squad was eliminated in the group stage because they were unable to produce performances that were consistent.
