Image: Fakhar Zaman suffered a knee injury while fielding against New Zealand / © ESPNcricinfo
Ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Pakistan suffered an early setback as opener Fakhar Zaman sustained a knee injury while fielding against New Zealand in the tournament opener at Karachi’s National Stadium on February 19. The incident occurred on the second ball of the match when Fakhar, chasing the ball near the boundary, appeared to hurt his knee and had to leave the field.
Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan had opted to bat first, with Haris Rauf returning to the XI, while New Zealand left out Rachin Ravindra, preferring Will Young as an opener alongside Devon Conway.
Meanwhile, the second match of the tournament will see India take on Bangladesh on February 20 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. India, led by Rohit Sharma, will look to start strong, having dominated Bangladesh in past ICC events, including a nine-wicket win in the 2017 Champions Trophy semifinal.
Bangladesh, captained by Najmul Hossain Shanto, will aim to cause an upset. The Dubai pitch is expected to be slow, favoring bowlers, while chasing teams have won 36 out of 58 ODIs at the venue. With star players like Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, and Mustafizur Rahman in action, the clash promises an exciting contest.