Major blow for Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman – the team's trump card against India – injured?
The 2025 ICC Champions Trophy has kicked off with the Group A match between Pakistan and New Zealand in Karachi. Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan won the toss and chose to field first. However, Pakistan's plans were disrupted early on as star batter Fakhar Zaman was forced to leave the field after just two balls due to injury.
Fakhar was attempting to stop a ball driven by Will Young to extra cover. He made a diving effort to save a boundary, successfully preventing a four for his team. But soon after, he appeared to be in discomfort and stepped off the field, sitting down near the boundary line. He later stood up and walked back to the dugout, though it seems he may have sustained a groin injury.
No official update has been provided yet, but Pakistan have already brought in Kamran Ghulam as Fakhar's substitute fielder.
Impressive record against India
Fakhar, known for his aggressive style, has an impressive ODI record against India. In six matches, he has accumulated 234 runs at an average of 46.80, with a blistering strike rate of 82.39.
The last time India and Pakistan met in a Champions Trophy final was in 2017 at The Oval, where Fakhar played a pivotal role in securing Pakistan's victory, proving to be the difference between the two sides when it mattered most.
Pakistan win toss; opt to bowl first
Pakistan skipper Muhammad Rizwan won the toss and elected to bowl first in the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 opener against New Zealand at the National Stadium in Karachi on Wednesday.
The hosts have brought in Haris Rauf for this match, and on the other hand, Blackcaps included Matt Henry in their line-up. Both teams are placed in Group A along with India and Bangladesh
"We will bowl first. Seen the last couple of matches dew comes in later, so want to maximise on that. We are the defending champions so will be in a bit more pressure, but we will treat it like the previous tri-series. Playing in Pakistan will be great as well. Haris Rauf is fit again, so he's back in," Rizwan said after winning the toss.
New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner said that the dew will come into play later in day so they have to play accordingly.
"The dew gets on later, but we have a job to do with the bat. Looks like a good wicket. We have a good mix of experience and new faces, and are playing some good cricket as well. We have been lucky to play these guys home and away, so we know each other well. What's most important is getting used to the conditions here in Karachi. The injuries we've had are unfortunate, but are confident with the boys that we have out here. Matt Henry comes back in for us," Santner said.
Teams:
New Zealand (Playing XI): Devon Conway, Will Young, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, William ORourke
Pakistan (Playing XI): Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk/c), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed. (ANI) (With inputs from Agencies)