New Zealand secured a dominant 8-wicket victory over Pakistan in the final T20 match of the series.
Winning the toss, New Zealand opted to field first. Pakistan struggled with the bat and managed to score only 128 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. In response, the Kiwi batters chased down the target in just 10 overs, losing only 2 wickets.
In the match played at Wellington Regional Stadium, Pakistan’s top order collapsed early. Both openers were dismissed with the team’s total at just 23 runs. Hassan Nawaz was out for a duck, while Mohammad Haris managed only 11 runs. Umair Bin Yousuf and Usman Khan contributed 7 runs each, while Abdul Samad fell for 4.
Shadab Khan scored 28, Jahandad Khan made 1, and captain Salman Ali Agha fought back with 51 runs. However, Sufiyan Muqeem and Mohammad Ali failed to score, while Haris Rauf remained unbeaten on 6.
For New Zealand, Jimmy Neesham was the standout bowler, taking 5 wickets. Jacob Duffy picked up 2 wickets, while Ben Sears and Ish Sodhi took 1 wicket each.
New Zealand’s batting was explosive, led by opener Tim Seifert, who played a stunning innings, remaining unbeaten on 97 off just 38 balls. Finn Allen contributed 27 runs, while Mark Chapman was dismissed for 3.
For Pakistan, Sufiyan Muqeem was the only successful bowler, taking both wickets.
Pakistan made several changes to their squad for this match, with Shaheen Shah Afridi being dropped. The playing XI included Umair Bin Yousuf, Usman Khan, Jahandad Khan, Sufiyan Muqeem, and Mohammad Ali, alongside captain Salman Ali Agha, Hassan Nawaz, Shadab Khan, and Haris Rauf.
