Champions Trophy: Pakistan suffer Fakhar blow ahead of India clash

Fresh after defeat in the Champions Trophy opener against New Zealand, Pakistan suffered another major blow ahead of the highly-anticipated game against India.

According to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), opening batter Fakhar Zaman is not travelling with the Pakistan team, who are set to depart to Dubai today.

The block-buster tie against arch-rivals India will be played at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday February 23.

Fakhar Zaman was forced off the field just after two deliveries in Karachi on Wednesday.

Zaman suffered a muscular injury while chasing a ball towards the boundary. He cut it off before palming it over to Babar Azam to throw it back to the keeper, but immediately appeared to feel discomfort and walked off the field.

He walked backed to dug out with the physio, though unaided. He eventually returned to the field later in the game.

The southpaw came out to bat at Mohammad Rizwan’s position, as he was not eligible to open for Pakistan for not spending required time on the field during New Zealand innings.

During his batting, he again felt discomfort and was checked by a physio. He was not able to run between the wicket properly.

Eventually, he was bowled by Bracewell after scoring 24 off 42 deliveries.

According to media reports, the Pakistan team management is now awaiting Fakhar’s medical reports. “Fakhar Zaman has complained of a strain in his chest area. A final decision will be made after reviewing his medical reports,” the management stated.

Pakistan suffered a 60-run defeat against New Zealand in the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.