New Zealand’s Ben Sears ruled out of Champions Trophy

New Zealand fast bowler Ben Sears has been ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 after a hamstring injury.

According to New Zealand Cricket, Sears sustained the injury during a training session in Karachi on Wednesday, forcing him out of the tournament. As a replacement, Jacob Duffy has been added to the squad. Duffy was already with the team for the ongoing tri-series.

The ICC event’s technical committee has approved the squad change for New Zealand.

Meanwhile, several other key players have also been ruled out of the Champions Trophy. "Pakistan’s Saim Ayub and India’s Jasprit Bumrah have withdrawn because of injuries, while Australia’s Mitchell Starc has opted out for personal reasons.

Additionally, Afghanistan’s spinner, AM Ghazanfar, will miss the tournament following fitness concerns, and South Africa will be without their pace spearhead, Anrich Nortje.

With multiple squad changes ahead of the mega event, teams will have to adjust their strategies accordingly.