Pakistan's 29-year wait to host a major International Cricket Council tournament ended Wednesday when it won the toss and elected to field in the Champions Trophy opener against New Zealand in Karachi.

Star batter Fakhar Zaman - who'd slammed a sensational century when Pakistan beat India in the 2017 Champions Trophy final - got injured trying to stop a boundary in the deep.

Champions Trophy gets underway on Tuesday, with hosts Pakistan taking on New Zealand in Karachi. After a turbulent build-up, which was plagued by uncertainty over whether and where India would play their games,

New Zealand opener Will Young became the first centurion of the 2025 Champions Trophy as he reached his hundred in 107 balls against Pakistan in the tournament opener in Karachi.

Follow live coverage of Pakistan vs New Zealand from the ICC Champions Trophy today. The ICC Test Championship sees nine teams compete across a two-year cycle of matches before a two-team final decides the winner.

India has refused to play its Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan, which is hosting its first major global tournament in almost 30 years.

Pakistan's largest city was abuzz with anticipation and apprehension Wednesday as the hosts played the opening match of the nation's first major international cricket tournament in three decades. Pakistan last held a major international tournament as World Cup co-hosts with India and Sri Lanka in 1996.