Fakhar Zaman suffers injury scare in Champions Trophy opener: Details
What's the story
Pakistan's key player Fakhar Zaman was injured in the first over of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy tournament opener against New Zealand.
The incident occurred in Karachi when he was fielding a shot from New Zealand's Will Young.
Meanwhile, Pakistan won the toss and chose to ball.
However, Zaman had to leave the field due to this injury, in an unexpected turn of events early in the game.
Here's more.
Injury details
Zaman injured while fielding Young's shot
The injury occurred on the second ball of Shaheen Afridi's first over when Young drove a wide, full delivery through the covers for three runs.
Zaman, in an attempt to stop the ball from reaching the boundary, landed awkwardly after a dive.
He immediately showed signs of discomfort and signaled for a replacement before leaving the field, clutching his lower back.
Replacement
Kamran Ghulam replaces injured Zaman on field
After Zaman's injury, Kamran Ghulam was called upon as a substitute fielder.
This change came early in the match, possibly affecting Pakistan's strategy for the remainder of the game.
The severity of Zaman's injury and its effect on his future participation in the tournament remains to be seen.
Stats
A look Zaman's ODI and Champions Trophy numbers
Playing his 86th ODI, the batter has managed 3,627 runs at an average of 46.50.
He also owns a strike rate of 94.23, alongside 11 hundreds and 17 fifties. His highest score is 210*.
According to ESPNcricinfo, he owns 252 runs from four Champions Trophy innings at 63.
Additionally, Zaman first rose to prominence in the 2017 edition, scoring a match-winning 114 against India in the final.