Follow UsThe 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, the first ICC event hosted by Pakistan in 29 years, got off to the worst start imaginable for the hosts with star opener Fakhar Zaman leaving the field after sustaining an injury on the very second ball of the tournament.
A full ball outside off stump bowled by Shaheen Shah Afridi was timed impeccably by Will Young, with the connection being good enough for the two New Zealand openers to run three. Fakhar Zaman was the one chasing the ball and he ended up doing serious damage in the process of stopping the ball. Zaman stopped the ball from going to the boundary but he felt something and signalled for the physio immediately, before leaving the field in an instant.
While it’s unclear which part of his body Zaman ended up straining, it looked like he had done some damage to his back or sides. The opener sat down immediately after leaving the field of play but was eventually able to walk away with the help of the physio.
Pakistan will be hoping that Zaman’s injury is not serious. With Saim Ayub already ruled out, the left-hander is the x-factor in Pakistan’s top-order. And he is in scintillating form, averaging 68.60 across his last six ODI innings, having struck at 124.27. Across his last 10 matches against New Zealand, Zaman has amassed 684 runs at an average of 97.71 and a strike rate of 104.90.