Champions Trophy: Fakhar Zaman suffers injury scare in opening match against New Zealand

Pakistan suffered an early setback in their opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 as star batter Fakhar Zaman was forced to leave the field due to injury just two balls into the game against New Zealand at the National Stadium in Karachi.  

The incident occurred when Fakhar attempted to stop a boundary and went down on his knees in the process. While he successfully prevented the ball from reaching the fence, he appeared to have hurt his knee and was immediately substituted by Kamran Ghulam.  

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that Fakhar Zaman is being assessed and examined for a muscular sprain. Further updates on his condition will be provided in due course. It remains uncertain whether he will be able to bat later in the match.  

Pakistan, hosting its first ICC tournament since the 1996 ODI World Cup, had won the toss and opted to field first. The team welcomed back pace spearhead Haris Rauf, who returned to the playing XI after recovering from an injury. Meanwhile, New Zealand, already hit by the absence of Lockie Ferguson—who was ruled out just before the tournament—included Matt Henry in their bowling attack.