Every cricket follower needs to be before the exciting battle between the New Zealand National Cricket Team and the Pakistan National Cricket Team. Scoring between the two sides has always been an account of intense competition, individual brilliance, and unforgettable highlights.
So, in this blog post, we’ll look at the latest match scorecards between New Zealand and Pakistan, highlight crucial performances, and offer thoughts on what makes these fixtures so fascinating to analyze.
Table of Contents
Recent Matches Overview
New Zealand plays Pakistan in what will be the latest edition of a cricket rivalry that has been shedding its focus for the T20s in recent years, however.
For much of the past decade, the two teams crossed paths regularly in critical matches against one another, each with its own modality of in-game plot twists. Below, we’ll go through some of the more recent matchups, including their scorecards.
1. 5th T20I (April 27, 2024) – Pakistan Won by 9 Runs
- Venue: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
- Pakistan: 178/5 (20 overs)
- New Zealand: 169 (19.2 overs)
This match was a nail-biting affair as Pakistan put up a towering score of 178 runs on the board. New Zealand put up an intense fight but lost by 9 runs. Again, the heroes of the match were Shaheen Afridi, who bled to bowl his way out to claim three wickets, and the elegant Pakistani wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammed Rizwan, who played a gargantuan knock and got a well-deserved half-century.
2. 4th T20I (April 25, 2024) – New Zealand Won by 4 Runs
- Venue: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
- New Zealand: 178/7 (20 overs)
- Pakistan: 174/8 (20 overs)
New Zealand defended 178 in a tight game. Pakistan came 4 runs short of their target, valiantly led by Babar Azam, who scored a brisk 60. New Zealand’s bowlers kept their nerve in the final overs to seal the victory.
3. 3rd T20I (April 21, 2024) – New Zealand Won by 7 Wickets
- Venue: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
- Pakistan: 178/4 (20 overs)
- New Zealand: 179/3 (18.2 overs)
New Zealand made short work of Pakistan’s target of 179, trouncing it on the strength of an explosive batting effort from Finn Allen, who rattled off 70 runs on only 40 balls. This win evened the series and set up an exciting finish.
4. 2nd T20I (April 20, 2024) – Pakistan Won by 7 Wickets
- Venue: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
- New Zealand: 90 (18.1 overs)
- Pakistan: 92/3 (12.1 overs)
Pakistan’s bowlers ripped apart New Zealand’s batting lineup to restrict them to a meager 90 runs. This show was built on the back of the unplayable Shaheen Afridi, who took 3 for just 13. Pakistan chased down the target of 158 in 12.1 overs.
5. 1st T20I (April 18, 2024) – No Result
- Venue: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
- New Zealand: 2/1 (0.2 overs)
- Pakistan: Did not bat
The rain had wrecked the first T20I as it had left midway, with only 0.2 overs bowled. Nobody was eager to know what would happen next in the series.
Key Players to Watch
Pakistan
- Babar Azam: Ever since Babar Azam has led the team, he has been a player to watch out for, as he has delivered for the team time and again. For those reasons, his role of anchoring the innings with the facilities to change the pace through aggressive stroke play makes him crucial to the batting order.
- Shaheen Afridi: He is once again a revelation, especially with the new ball. Shaheen Afridi has had some success dismissing him because of the pace and swing he possess.
- Mohammad Rizwan: This wicketkeeper-batsman is ever dependable, and Rizwan is playing the cricket of his life and has been contributing magnificently to the Pakistan batting line-up.
New Zealand
- Finn Allen: A real game changer, Finn Allen has set it up for New Zealand with a positively ruthless batting approach.
- Trent Boult: Being one of the leading fast bowlers in the current cricket format, Boult has the inception of swinging the ball. Either way, he will have the opponent team in his sights every time he bowls.
- Kane Williamson: The experienced leader and middle-order batsman, Williamson’s calm head and tactical mind are an asset to the team.
What Makes This Rivalry Special?
The New Zealand vs Pakistan cricket rivalry has good significance for the following reasons:
- Fighting Spirit: Each team is known to fight hard, and the football on display is always highly competitive.
- Varied Conditions: What is played in various conditions ranging from the seaming pitches of New Zealand to the spin-friendly tracks of Pakistan.
- Fresh New Faces: Both sides are made up of veteran-level players but a good representation of youngsters, too, including contributions from youngsters that bring the excitement of a fresh perspective in performance.
FAQ Section
How many times has Pakistan won against New Zealand in T20Is?
April 2024: Pakistan vs New Zealand T20I head-to-head in 30 matches: Pakistan won 15.
What is the highest individual score in NZ vs PAK T20Is?
The record for the highest individual score in NZ vs PAK T20I’s is 101* , which was scored by Martin Guptill( New Zealand)
Where can I watch the New Zealand versus Pakistan matches?
Live coverage will be available on sports channels such as ESPN, Star Sports, and PTV Sports. They will also be available to stream on Hotstar, Willow TV, and YouTube.
Who is the highest wicket-taker in T20I matches between NZ and PAK?
As of Apr 2024, Shaheen Afridi (PAK) JW NZ vs PAK T20IS (Wickets)
What is the highest team score ever in T20Is between NZ and PAK?
In 2020, New Zealand scored 226/4 in the NZ vs PAK T20I match, which is the highest score so far.
Conclusion
To summarize, there are no spoilers here , so we would have to keep it short in that the cricket matches between New Zealand vs Pakistan indeed are impressing fans with the mix of skill and tactic mixed with just the right amount of action. Whether they’re high-scoring thrillers or low-scoring nail-biters, these matchups never disappoint. Catch up on all of the news and analysis in this electrifying rivalry!
