Watch: Fakhar Zaman breaks down in tears after being ruled out of ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Pakistan began their campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on a disappointing note with a 60-run loss to New Zealand in their opening match. To make matters worse, Pakistan's opening batter Fakhar Zaman suffered an injury during the match and was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament.

Fakhar sustained the blow on the second ball of the match while trying to stop a boundary. Will Young drove a shot through the covers off Shaheen Afridi’s delivery. Fakhar sprinted from mid-off and managed to palm the ball back but got his knees stuck on the outfield and appeared in discomfort.

Fakhar Zaman Scored 24 Runs Despite Discomfort

After receiving on-field treatment for his injury, Fakhar had to leave the field. He spent most of New Zealand’s innings off the field and, due to ICC regulations, couldn't open Pakistan’s chase.

The left-handed batter batted at number four after skipper Mohammad Rizwan’s dismissal during the run chase. Despite battling severe discomfort, Zaman showed resilience but struggled to rotate the strike. The southpaw managed to score 24 off 41 balls before being dismissed by Michael Bracewell.

Watch: Fakhar Zaman Breaks Down in Tears After Being Ruled Out of ICC Champions Trophy

In a video shared by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on its Instagram account, Fakhar Zaman limped to the dressing room, where he broke down in tears. His teammate Shaheen Shah Afridi was seen trying to console him, but the heartbreak was evident. The video quickly went viral on social media.

"Heartbreaking visuals from Karachi after Fakhar Zaman was forced out of #ChampionsTrophy 2025 with an injury 😢 📽️: @therealpcb," wrote the caption.

You can watch the video of the incident below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ICC (@icc)

The 34-year-old batter established himself in international cricket by scoring 114 runs in the 2017 Champions Trophy final against India. His innings played a crucial role in Pakistan’s dominant 180-run victory.

Imam-ul-Haq Replaces Fakhar Zaman in Pakistan's Champions Trophy Squad

The Pakistan Cricket Board has named Imam-ul-Haq as his replacement for the remainder of the tournament. Zaman had recently returned to the squad after being dropped from the South Africa and Australia tours, following his tweet about Babar Azam’s exclusion from the Test squad against England.

“Imam, who has played 72 ODIs, was named as a replacement after Fakhar was ruled out due to an oblique injury,” the ICC said in a statement.

Imam-ul-Haq has amassed 3,138 runs in 72 ODI matches at an average of 48.27 and a strike rate of 82.56, including nine centuries and 20 half-centuries. The left-hander last played for Pakistan in an ODI match during the 2023 World Cup against South Africa at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

The Mohammad Rizwan-led side will take on India in their next match at the Dubai International Stadium. This game is a must-win to stay in the ongoing marquee tournament. A loss would leave them relying on victories against Bangladesh while hoping India and Bangladesh defeat New Zealand.

Also read: Watch: Harshit Rana Humiliates Najmul Hossain Shanto with Controversial Flying Kiss Celebration in CT 2025