Karachi: In the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Pakistan’s aggressive opening batsman Fakhar Zaman was unable to start the innings against New Zealand.
The match, held at the National Bank Cricket Stadium in Karachi, saw New Zealand set a target of 321 runs for Pakistan.
However, despite the challenging chase, Fakhar Zaman was unable to open for Pakistan, and instead, Saud Shakeel and Babar Azam walked out to begin the innings.
According to Cricinfo, Fakhar Zaman had to leave the field during the early overs of the match, which rendered him ineligible to bat for the first 20 minutes of Pakistan’s innings.
Earlier, Pakistan’s captain Mohammad Rizwan won the toss and opted to field first. During the initial overs, Fakhar Zaman sustained a muscle strain while fielding, forcing him to leave the ground. Although he briefly returned to the field later, he eventually had to leave again.
A statement from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that Fakhar Zaman was undergoing assessment for his muscle strain. However, after some rest, he rejoined the field for fielding.
