<p>New Zealand&rsquo;s star batter Kane Williamson&rsquo;s remarkable six-year streak of avoiding single-digit scores in ODIs came to an end during the ICC Champions Trophy opener against Pakistan on Wednesday (Feb 19).</p>
<p>Coming in to bat with New Zealand at 39/1, Williamson&rsquo;s stay at the crease turned out to be brief. He managed just one run off two balls before edging a delivery from Naseem Shah to wicketkeeper and Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan.</p>
<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/champions-trophy-pak-vs-nz-video-naseem-shah-bowls-dream-delivery-to-dismiss-kane-williamson-wtach-8736735">Champions Trophy, PAK vs NZ: Naseem Shah bowls 'dream delivery' to dismiss Kane Williamson | WATCH</a></strong></p>
<p>This was Williamson&rsquo;s first single-digit score in ODIs since January 5, 2019, when he scored just one run off nine balls against Sri Lanka.&nbsp;In the 38 matches and 36 innings between these two low scores, Williamson amassed 1,775 runs at an impressive average of 61.20, with three centuries and 12 half-centuries. His stellar run included a &lsquo;Player of the Tournament&rsquo; performance in the 2019 Cricket World Cup, where he scored 578 runs in nine innings at an average of 82.57, with two hundreds and two fifties, including a best score of 148.</p>
<h2>Injury scare for Fakhar Zaman?</h2>
<p>Earlier in the match,&nbsp;Pakistan batter Fakhar Zaman suffered an injury scare during the opening match of the Champions Trophy 2025 against New Zealand on Feb 19 in Karachi. The destructive batter is currently being checked for a muscular sprain.</p>
<p>Zaman suffered the scare on a shot by Will Young, who drove Shaheen Afridi through the covers. Zaman, while trying to stop the ball, seemed to have hurt his left side rib area and was forced off the field two balls into the match.</p>
<p>"Fakhar Zaman is being assessed and examined for a muscular sprain, and further updates will be provided in due course," said the PCB in a statement.</p>
<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

Cricket, Sports: Williamson’s stay at the crease was brief. He managed just one run off two balls before edging a delivery from Naseem Shah to wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan

New Zealand’s star batter Kane Williamson’s remarkable six-year streak of avoiding single-digit scores in ODIs came to an end during the ICC Champions Trophy opener against Pakistan on Wednesday (Feb 19). Coming in to bat with New Zealand at 39/1, Williamson’s stay at the crease turned out to be brief. He managed just one run off two balls before edging a delivery from Naseem Shah to wicketkeeper and Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan. Also Read: Champions Trophy, PAK vs NZ: Naseem Shah bowls 'dream delivery' to dismiss Kane Williamson | WATCH This was Williamson’s first single-digit score in ODIs since January 5, 2019, when he scored just one run off nine balls against Sri Lanka. In the 38 matches and 36 innings between these two low scores, Williamson amassed 1,775 runs at an impressive average of 61.20, with three centuries and 12 half-centuries. His stellar run included a ‘Player of the Tournament’ performance in the 2019 Cricket World Cup, where he scored 578 runs in nine innings at an average of 82.57, with two hundreds and two fifties, including a best score of 148. Injury scare for Fakhar Zaman? Earlier in the match, Pakistan batter Fakhar Zaman suffered an injury scare during the opening match of the Champions Trophy 2025 against New Zealand on Feb 19 in Karachi. The destructive batter is currently being checked for a muscular sprain. Zaman suffered the scare on a shot by Will Young, who drove Shaheen Afridi through the covers. Zaman, while trying to stop the ball, seemed to have hurt his left side rib area and was forced off the field two balls into the match. "Fakhar Zaman is being assessed and examined for a muscular sprain, and further updates will be provided in due course," said the PCB in a statement. (With inputs from agencies)

Champions Trophy 2025: Kane Williamson breaks 6-year streak during opener against Pakistan

<p>As the cricketing world eagerly anticipates the ICC <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/champions-trophy">Champions Trophy</a> 2025, New Zealand&rsquo;s star batter <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/kane-williamson">Kane Williamson</a> took to Instagram to share his fond memories of playing against Pakistan.</p>
<p>In a video shared by the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/icc">ICC</a>, Williamson reflected on one of his most unforgettable moments&mdash;a stunning catch to dismiss Abdullah Shafique during the 2023 World Cup.</p>
<p>&ldquo;In the moment, you&rsquo;re just trying to focus on what&rsquo;s important, where you need to be, and try to get there as quickly as possible, keeping your head nice and still, and hoping that it goes in&mdash;and on that occasion, it did,&rdquo; Williamson recalled.</p>
<p>The clip featured Williamson watching his incredible diving catch from the New Zealand vs. Pakistan clash in Bengaluru. Sprinting back, the Kiwi batter pulled off one of the tournament&rsquo;s most spectacular grabs, sending Shafique back to the pavilion.</p>
<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/champions-trophy-hope-india-team-will-deliver-says-bccis-vice-president-rajeev-shukla-8732647">Champions Trophy: 'Hope India team will deliver', says BCCI's vice-president Rajeev Shukla</a></strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;It was nice to be back on the field. The finger injury felt insignificant compared to the knee injury, which took six months to recover from. Taking that catch, I kind of dug into the ground,&rdquo; he shared, reflecting on his journey back to fitness.</p>
<p>Williamson also acknowledged how rain played a decisive role in that thrilling match, with Pakistan securing a stunning victory via the DLS method.</p>
<p>Watch the video here:</p>
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<p>&ldquo;An incredible game, actually. Rain-affected, and we ended up getting 400, and then the shortened match&mdash;Pakistan chased it down,&rdquo; he reminisced.</p>
<p>In that high-stakes World Cup encounter, New Zealand had posted a mammoth 401 for 6, powered by Rachin Ravindra&rsquo;s brilliant 105 and Williamson&rsquo;s composed 95. However, Pakistan&mdash;buoyed by Fakhar Zaman&rsquo;s blistering 126 off 81 balls&mdash;stayed ahead of the DLS target, claiming a crucial 21-run victory to keep their tournament hopes alive.</p>
<h2>'Great atmosphere playing against Pak'</h2>
<p>The two sides last met in the Tri-Nation Series final in Karachi on February 14, where New Zealand claimed a comfortable five-wicket victory. Will O&rsquo;Rourke&rsquo;s four-wicket haul and half-centuries from Daryl Mitchell and Tom Latham helped the Blackcaps chase down 243 with 28 balls to spare.</p>
<p>Looking ahead to the Champions Trophy, Williamson expressed his excitement: &ldquo;Always a great atmosphere playing against Pakistan, and I&rsquo;m sure that&rsquo;ll be the same, certainly with them playing at home.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Pakistan and New Zealand will kick off the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on February 19 in Karachi, with the much-anticipated opening match set to take place at the National Bank Cricket Stadium. A brief opening ceremony will mark the start of what promises to be a thrilling tournament.</p>
<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

Cricket, Sports: Pakistan and New Zealand will once again face off in the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on February 19 in Karachi

As the cricketing world eagerly anticipates the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, New Zealand’s star batter Kane Williamson took to Instagram to share his fond memories of playing against Pakistan. In a video shared by the ICC, Williamson reflected on one of his most unforgettable moments—a stunning catch to dismiss Abdullah Shafique during the 2023 World Cup. “In the moment, you’re just trying to focus on what’s important, where you need to be, and try to get there as quickly as possible, keeping your head nice and still, and hoping that it goes in—and on that occasion, it did,” Williamson recalled. The clip featured Williamson watching his incredible diving catch from the New Zealand vs. Pakistan clash in Bengaluru. Sprinting back, the Kiwi batter pulled off one of the tournament’s most spectacular grabs, sending Shafique back to the pavilion. Also Read: Champions Trophy: 'Hope India team will deliver', says BCCI's vice-president Rajeev Shukla “It was nice to be back on the field. The finger injury felt insignificant compared to the knee injury, which took six months to recover from. Taking that catch, I kind of dug into the ground,” he shared, reflecting on his journey back to fitness. Williamson also acknowledged how rain played a decisive role in that thrilling match, with Pakistan securing a stunning victory via the DLS method. Watch the video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by ICC (@icc) “An incredible game, actually. Rain-affected, and we ended up getting 400, and then the shortened match—Pakistan chased it down,” he reminisced. In that high-stakes World Cup encounter, New Zealand had posted a mammoth 401 for 6, powered by Rachin Ravindra’s brilliant 105 and Williamson’s composed 95. However, Pakistan—buoyed by Fakhar Zaman’s blistering 126 off 81 balls—stayed ahead of the DLS target, claiming a crucial 21-run victory to keep their tournament hopes alive. 'Great atmosphere playing against Pak' The two sides last met in the Tri-Nation Series final in Karachi on February 14, where New Zealand claimed a comfortable five-wicket victory. Will O’Rourke’s four-wicket haul and half-centuries from Daryl Mitchell and Tom Latham helped the Blackcaps chase down 243 with 28 balls to spare. Looking ahead to the Champions Trophy, Williamson expressed his excitement: “Always a great atmosphere playing against Pakistan, and I’m sure that’ll be the same, certainly with them playing at home.” Pakistan and New Zealand will kick off the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on February 19 in Karachi, with the much-anticipated opening match set to take place at the National Bank Cricket Stadium. A brief opening ceremony will mark the start of what promises to be a thrilling tournament. (With inputs from agencies)

Champions Trophy 2025: Kane Williamson reminisces on rivalry with Pakistan ahead of opener

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Cricket, Sports | Captains with Most ICC Finals Pat Cummins MS Dhoni Ricky Ponting Kane Williamson Brian Lara Clive Lloyd Rohit Sharma Sourav Ganguly Virat Kohli 

<p>R Ashwin's Punjab face a big challenge in the form of Hyderabad, who are yet to face a defeat in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018.</p>

<p>Punjab defeated determined Chennai by mere four runs to give MS Dhoni his first loss in the tournament.&nbsp</p>

<p>Batsman Chris Gayle was mighty effective against Chennai at Mohali on Sunday, where he scored a blistering 63 runs from just 33 balls.</p>

<p>His innings included four sixes and seven fours. Considering that it was his first match in this year's IPL, he showed the world why he is still the most destructive in the world.&nbsp</p>

<p>His form was not less than a warning to other franchises to be aware of the Jamaican cricketer.</p>

<p>Gayle would be looking to continue his sublime form but his past record against Hyderabad in the previous editions, he hasn’t fared very well.&nbsp</p>

<p>He boasts of a strike-rate of 151.72 in nine innings, but has only managed to score 220 runs at an average of 24.44.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Hyderabad is having a ball in the IPL. Their batsman are in terrific form. In the played three matches, either Shikhar Dhawan or skipper Kane Williamson have managed to stood up for the team in order to set a mammoth target.</p>

<p>The bowling attack of Hyderabad has been outstanding and is capable to deplete any batting attack.&nbsp</p>

<p>The visiting side is unlikely to tinker with the combination that has given them three wins.&nbsp</p>

<p>Sandeep Sharma only got a game against Mumbai Indians due to an injury to Bhuvneshar Kumar.</p>

<p>&nbspHowever, once the lead pacer was fit, Sandeep had to make way despite a good showing. SRH are likely to remain unchanged for the game.</p>

<p>Punjab, on the other hand, may bring Manoj Tiwary to replace Yuvraj Singh, who has looked off colour.&nbsp</p>

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<p>Aaron Finch's golden ducks in the last two matches notwithstanding, he's likely to get another run.</p>

<p>Hyderabad has won all their four games against Punjab in Mohali. The last six head-to-head encounters all went to Hyderabad.</p>

<p>The clash promises to be a high voltage encounter with both the team having 50 per cent chances to clinch the game.&nbsp</p>


Punjab defeated determined Chennai by mere four runs

R Ashwin's Punjab face a big challenge in the form of Hyderabad, who are yet to face a defeat in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018. Punjab defeated determined Chennai by mere four runs to give MS Dhoni his first loss in the tournament. Batsman Chris Gayle was mighty effective against Chennai at Mohali on Sunday, where he scored a blistering 63 runs from just 33 balls. His innings included four sixes and seven fours. Considering that it was his first match in this year's IPL, he showed the world why he is still the most destructive in the world. His form was not less than a warning to other franchises to be aware of the Jamaican cricketer. Gayle would be looking to continue his sublime form but his past record against Hyderabad in the previous editions, he hasn’t fared very well. He boasts of a strike-rate of 151.72 in nine innings, but has only managed to score 220 runs at an average of 24.44. Meanwhile, Hyderabad is having a ball in the IPL. Their batsman are in terrific form. In the played three matches, either Shikhar Dhawan or skipper Kane Williamson have managed to stood up for the team in order to set a mammoth target. The bowling attack of Hyderabad has been outstanding and is capable to deplete any batting attack. The visiting side is unlikely to tinker with the combination that has given them three wins. Sandeep Sharma only got a game against Mumbai Indians due to an injury to Bhuvneshar Kumar. &nbspHowever, once the lead pacer was fit, Sandeep had to make way despite a good showing. SRH are likely to remain unchanged for the game. Punjab, on the other hand, may bring Manoj Tiwary to replace Yuvraj Singh, who has looked off colour. × Aaron Finch's golden ducks in the last two matches notwithstanding, he's likely to get another run. Hyderabad has won all their four games against Punjab in Mohali. The last six head-to-head encounters all went to Hyderabad. The clash promises to be a high voltage encounter with both the team having 50 per cent chances to clinch the game.

IPL 2018: Match preview of Hyderabad vs Punjab