Pakistan's opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 was set to be a challenging one, especially with Fakhar Zaman not able to open the innings.
The situation raised questions about whether his absence from the top order would be a blessing in disguise for the team.
Fakhar Zaman, the Pakistan opener, had spent a significant amount of time off the field, which ruled him out from opening the innings.
According to ICC regulations, Fakhar Zaman could not bat for the first 20 minutes of the innings.
This left Saud Shakeel and Babar Azam to take on the responsibility of the opening partnership.
