Captain Mohammad Rizwan said Pakistan's middle order succumbed to the pressure in a Champions Trophy defeat by fierce rivals India on Sunday that left the tournament hosts' chances of progressing to the knockout stage hanging by a thread.

Former Pakistan women’s captain Urooj Mumtaz criticised skipper Mohammad Rizwan for playing too many dot balls in the middle overs phase, which ultimately led to their six-wicket defeat to India in the 2025 Champions Trophy clash in Dubai.

Captain Mohammad Rizwan (46 off 77 balls) and Saud Shakeel (62 off 76) batted for 24 overs, but let the scoring rate drop well below 5 and even below 4 at one stage. With the ball, Pakistan appeared to lack the aggression, and bar a few moments of magic, posed no threat to the Indian batting.