Pakistan off to Dubai for marquee India clash in Champions Trophy

Pakistan cricket squad on Thursday left for Dubai from Karachi for playing ICC Champions Trophy match against arch-rival India without Fakhar Zaman, who was ruled out of the tournament due to injury, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The much-awaited Champions Trophy match between Pakistan and India will be played on Sunday (February 23).

After landing in Dubai today, the Pakistan team will take party in practice session tomorrow (Friday).

The Pakistan cricket team was without opener Fakhar Zaman, who suffered an injury during the opening match against New Zealand Wednesday.

The stalwart suffered a muscle strain while fielding in the New Zealand innings and remained away from the field for most part of the innings. The 34-year-old suffered the injury while chasing a ball to the boundary in the first over of the contest. Later, Zaman took to X (formerly Twitter) and informed that he has been ruled out of the tournament.

A nail-biting rivalry

The ICC Champions Trophy has witnessed some of the most intense and high-voltage encounters between arch-rivals Pakistan and India.

1998 - India dominates in Dhaka

The first-ever ICC Champions Trophy (then known as the ICC Knock-Out) clash between the two sides took place in Dhaka. India won convincingly, setting the tone for their dominance in ICC tournaments.

2004 - Pakistan's thrilling victory in Birmingham

Pakistan successfully chased down India’s target in a tense encounter. Shoaib Akhtar’s fiery spell and Inzamam-ul-Haq’s composed batting guided Pakistan to victory.

2009 - India’s win at Centurion

India dominated Pakistan with a brilliant batting display, led by Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni. The match saw intense moments, including fiery spells from both teams’ pace attacks.

2013 - Rain-hit clash in Birmingham

A highly anticipated match was affected by rain, and India emerged victorious under D/L method. The Indian bowling attack restricted Pakistan’s batting lineup, leading to an easy win.

2017 Final - Pakistan’s thrilling triumph

The most famous Pakistan-India clash in Champions Trophy history came in the 2017 final at The Oval. Pakistan stunned India with a historic 180-run victory. Fakhar Zaman’s brilliant century (114), followed by a fiery spell from Mohammad Amir, dismantled India’s batting lineup. This match remains one of Pakistan’s most memorable victories in cricket history.

Reporter: Muhammad Hamad