Watch: Pakistan's Air Show scares New Zealand's players during Champions Trophy 2025 opener, video goes viral

Watch: Pakistan's Air Show scares New Zealand's players during Champions Trophy 2025 opener, video goes viral
Pakistan's Air Show scares New Zealand's Devon Conway, Will Young during Champions Trophy 2025 opener

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Pakistan's Air Show scared the New Zealand players during the Champions Trophy opener

Pakistan vs New Zealand's clash marked the beginning of Champions Trophy 2025

A special 'Sherdil' air show, performed by the Pakistan Air Force, marked the beginning of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on February 19. The Champions Trophy 2025's opener saw Pakistan and New Zealand locking horns with each other at the Karachi Stadium. The aerial display, however, surprised New Zealand openers Devon Conway and Will Young, as well as many fans in Karachi. This tournament holds particular significance for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and its fans, as it's the first major ICC event hosted in the country in 29 years, since the 1996 Cricket World Cup.   

The opening ceremony, attended by Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari as the chief guest, was made even more special by the air show.

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Pakistan's Air Show scares New Zealand players

As the players prepared to take the field during the national anthem, fighter jets performed impressive maneuvers above the stadium, captivating the audience. The sudden appearance of the jets startled Conway and Young, while the display itself, featuring aircraft like the F-16 and JF-17, generated considerable buzz among fans on social media.

Just as the Indian Air Force's Surya Kiran aerobatic team performed a special air show before the 2023 World Cup final, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had previously announced a similar aerial treat for cricket fans attending the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 opener.  The PCB had confirmed in advance that the Pakistan Air Force would conduct a special air display for the occasion.

Watch the video here:

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This is only the third time Pakistan is hosted an ICC event. The previous occasions were the 1987 World Cup and the 1996 World Cup, which they co-hosted with India and Sri Lanka (with Pakistan solely hosting matches in 1996). Lahore also hosted the final of the 1996 tournament, where Sri Lanka emerged victorious against Australia. Notably, Pakistan was originally slated to host the 2008 Champions Trophy, but the tournament was postponed due to security concerns and subsequently moved to South Africa in 2009.

Talking about the match, put to bat first Will Young's brilliant century steadied New Zealand's boat against Pakistan. Young's impressive 107 off 113 rallied New Zealand to 207/4 at the end of 40 overs. 

New Zealand's Playing XI:

Devon Conway, Will Young, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner(c), Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, William O'Rourke.

Pakistan's Playing XI:

Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan(w/c), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed.