India vs Pakistan: Mohammed Shami Walks off Injured with Ankle Pain After Fifth Over in Champions Trophy 2025

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India vs Pakistan: India's high-voltage clash against Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 took a dramatic turn as Mohammed Shami walked off the field injured at the Dubai International Stadium.

The veteran pacer, leading India's attack in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, seemed to be struggling with his rhythm from the start, bowling a flurry of wides in his first over. While he completed his third over despite feeling discomfort in his ankle, Shami eventually left the field at the end of the fifth over, forcing India to rethink their bowling strategy.

With his history of injury setbacks, this is a worrying sign for the Men in Blue, who relied heavily on his experience to set the tone with the new ball.

Shami's absence was immediately felt as Hardik Pandya was forced to step in as the first-change bowler earlier than expected. The Indian pace attack, which had looked potent in the win against Bangladesh, suddenly found itself under pressure against a determined Pakistan batting unit.

Shami had been instrumental in India's opening game, picking up a five-wicket haul and becoming the country's highest wicket-taker in ICC tournaments with 60 dismissals. However, against Pakistan, he struggled with his lengths and ended up conceding easy runs before the injury added to India's concerns.

The physio had earlier attended to him on the field, but after completing his third over, he decided to walk off, leaving the team management with an anxious wait over his fitness.

India and Pakistan, the two heavyweights of Group A, are facing each other in a firecracker contest in the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025. India entered the fixture with confidence after a comfortable six-wicket win over Bangladesh, while Pakistan, reeling from a 60-run defeat to New Zealand, need a victory to keep their semi-final hopes alive.

Pakistan’s openers, Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq, started steadily despite Shami's wayward first over, capitalising on loose deliveries to keep the scoreboard ticking. Shami’s injury meant Rohit Sharma had to rotate his options carefully, bringing in Hardik Pandya early to compensate for the lost overs.