Pakistan explosive opener Fakhar Zaman endured a heart-breaking moment as he walked off in tears after his dismissal against New Zealand in the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy at National Bank Stadium Karachi on Wednesday.
Fakhar sustained an injury in the first over of New Zealand’s innings in Karachi yesterday when he fell awkwardly while fielding, forcing him to leave the ground for medical assessment.
Though he attempted to return to the field after some time, he eventually walked off again, raising serious concerns about his fitness.
Despite the discomfort, Fakhar still came out to bat in Pakistan’s chase of 321 runs. However, he looked far from his usual fluent self, managing a scratchy 24 before getting dismissed.
Following the announcement, Fakhar took to his official X (formerly Twitter) account, confirming his ouster from the tournament while extending his support to his teammates.
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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) released a video of Fakhar Zaman on social media in which the left-hander could be seen limping to the dressing room, where he burst into tears.
His teammate Shaheen Shah Afridi could also seen in the video, trying to comfort the tearful batter.
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For the unversed, Pakistan began their eight-team tournament 2025 campaign with a 60-run loss against New Zealand yesterday.
Green Shirts were bowled out on 260 in 47.2 overs after New Zealand’s clinical bowling performance. Khushdil Shah scored the most with his 69 off 49 balls.
Mitchell Santner and O’Rourke picked up three wickets for New Zealand, while Matt Henry grabbed two.
Tom Latham was adjudged player of the match for his match-winning unbeaten century.
Pakistan will now face arch-rivals India in the much-anticipated 2025 clash, scheduled to be played on Sunday.
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