The bowlers that hit the most wide balls in the ICC Champions Trophy’s opening over

In the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025 match between India (IND) and arch-rivals Pakistan (PAK), fiery pacer Mohammed Shami got off to a terrifying start in his opening over. The game, which is being played at the famous Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS) in the energetic city of Dubai, is a notable Sunday (February 23) blockbuster.

Shami, who just made his eagerly anticipated debut for the national team, appeared unimpressive in terms of accuracy and rhythm. He ended up delivering five wides in the match’s first over as a result. This implied that the bowler from Amroha had added himself to an undesirable list of bowlers. In addition, he became the first Indian bowler in ODI history to bowl the most wides in an over. This performance was noteworthy since it followed his most recent appearance, in which he claimed five wickets against Bangladesh.

Who bowled the most wides in the Champions Trophy first over?

Except for Mohammed Shami, no bowler has held the record for bowling the most wides in the opening over of the prestigious Champions Trophy. Tinashe Panyangara of Zimbabwe holds the record for bowling the most wides in an over in the ICC tournament, whereas Shami bowled five wides in his over, the second-highest by a bowler. In the 2004 Champions Trophy, the former right-arm fast-medium pacer bowled seven wides against England.

Shami left the field, giving India a concern about injuries.

Speaking of the high-stakes match between India and Pakistan, Shami gave supporters and the team a worry when he left the field after the third over of his bowling term, following a lackluster opening over. Notably, a team physiotherapist was observed ministering to him because it appeared that he was having leg problems. To everyone’s relief, though, the speedster eventually returned to bowl once more.

In addition, Pakistan chose to bat first after winning the toss in the high-stress match. It’s interesting to note that India lost the toss for the 12th time in a row. The Men in Blue’s match against New Zealand in the ODI World Cup semifinal in 2023 was the last time Rohit Sharma had won the toss.

India remained the same for the Champions Trophy match, while Pakistan made one change.
Regarding the starting lineups, Fakhar Zaman, the opener, was unable to recover in time to rejoin the team. Imam ul-Haq was consequently selected for the starting lineup. In contrast, Team India kept the same lineup as the previous game.

It appears to be a good surface, so I’ll bat first. wish to present a strong target. In ICC events, every match matters, therefore we’ll continue as usual. We have performed well here, the boys are accustomed to these conditions, and we aim to give it our all today. Although we lost our most recent game, it is now behind us. “Imam is in, Fakhar is out,” Rizwan declared during the toss.

“It doesn’t really matter; we’ll bowl first because they won the toss. The surface is a little slower, but it looks like the last game. We have a batting unit with expertise, so we know what to do if the pitches slow down. The squad must perform well both with the bat and the ball. We didn’t have an easy game last time, which is usually good. You want to put yourself to the test and be under pressure. At the toss, Indian captain Rohit said, “We are playing the same team.”