Pakistan recorded one of the most dominant wins in T20I cricket's history as they chased down their target of 205 one wicket down in just 16 overs against New Zealand in Auckland.
Their innings was the fastest 200-plus run chase ever, as Hasan Nawaz smashed his maiden T20I century in just his third international game, having been out for ducks in his first two T20Is, with support from the other end given by Mohammad Haris and captain Salman Ali Agha.
New Zealand came into the game having won the first two in the series with dominant performances, bowling Pakistan out for 91 in the first T20I before chasing 136 in a rain-affected game that was shortened to 15 overs.
During the Black Caps' innings, Mark Chapman led the way with the bat as he struck 94 off just 44 balls that included 15 boundaries before captain Michael Bracewell pushed New Zealand over 200 with a quickfire 31, but it wasn’t enough as the 204 became their fourth highest losing total in a T20I and their second loss when scoring over 200 this year. The first occasion was against Sri Lanka in January when they fell short having scored 211.
Overall, New Zealand have lost five times when they have scored 200 or more in a men's T20I innings, with all of them being at home, and three of those five in Auckland.
Pakistan have pulled off their second-highest successful run chase in men's T20Is 👏
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) March 21, 2025
They scored at 12.93 runs an over against New Zealand – their highest-ever innings run rate 💥 pic.twitter.com/apVhsjKj3j
This was Pakistan’s third highest score in T20Is and their second highest in a run chase, having scored 208 against the West Indies in Karachi in December 2021, that came courtesy of Mohammad Rizwan’s 87 and Babar Azam’s 79 however both of them are not involved in this current series.
The unbeaten second wicket partnership of 133 between Nawaz and captain Agha was Pakistan’s fourth highest non-opening partnership. The partnership led Pakistan to the second fewest balls bowled to successfully chase a 200-plus target in all T20s.
Scoring 207 in 16 overs meant that the innings run-rate of 12.93 runs per over became the highest ever for Pakistan in T20Is, which was helped by 12 sixes, the most ever hit by Pakistan in a T20I innings.
Nawaz’s 105 not out became the fourth-highest strike rate for an innings of more than 50 for Pakistan and the highest strike rate for an innings by a Pakistani to reach a T20I century.
24 balls to spare 😮
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) March 21, 2025
Pakistan keep the series alive with a sensational performance in Auckland 💥
It's comfortably the quickest successful 200+ run chase in men's T20Is 💪#NZvPAK pic.twitter.com/XivmTecRYH
Nawaz became the fourth Pakistan opener to score a T20I century, almost 11 years to the day since Ahmed Shehzad became the first against Bangladesh in the 2014 World T20. The other two players on the list are Rizwan and Babar, who scored the most recent one before Nawaz’s in 2023.
Nawaz became the first opening batter from Pakistan to hit a century in New Zealand across any format in 14 years, with the previous ton scored in an ODI by Shehzad as he achieved his country’s first win in T20Is in six games, and their first win against a side ranked higher than them in the ICC T20I rankings in 11 attempts.
With this win Pakistan claw back some momentum in the series and will look to go level in the five match T20Is series on Sunday at Mount Maunganui.
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