India, Feb. 19 -- In a big relief for Pakistan, Opener Fakhar Zaman returned to the field after suffering an injury scare in the very first over of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 opening match against New Zealand at the National Stadium in Karachi on Wednesday. The return of an ICC event at home after nearly 30 years did not start on an ideal note for Pakistan after Fakhar suffered an injury.

Two balls into Shaheen Shah Afridi's first over, New Zealand opener Will Young drove it through covers. Fakhar Zaman, who was standing at mid-off, went after it and dived to stop the ball from going to the boundary even as the Kiwi pair came back for the third run. He, however, fell awkwardly and appeared to have hurt his knee or back.

Fakhar, who s...