In a thrilling second T20I match, Pakistan defeated New Zealand by 38 runs, taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series. The highlight of the match was captain Babar Azam’s brilliant century, which led Pakistan to a competitive total of 192/4.
Choosing to bat first, Pakistan got off to a solid start with openers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan sharing a 99-run partnership. Babar Azam remained unbeaten on 101 off 58 balls, including 11 fours and 3 sixes. Rizwan contributed 50 runs off 34 balls with 6 fours and 1 six.
In response, New Zealand struggled to keep up with the required run rate, losing wickets at regular intervals. Mark Chapman remained unbeaten on 65 runs off 40 balls, but none of the other batters could perform well. Pakistan’s fast bowler Haris Rauf took 4 wickets for 27 runs in 4 overs, while Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, and Zaman Khan took one wicket each.
The third match of the T20I series will be played on Monday, followed by the fourth match on Thursday and the fifth match on Monday. Pakistan will look to continue their winning momentum and seal the series with a victory in the next match.
Overall, it was an exciting match filled with ups and downs, but Pakistan’s strong performance with both bat and ball proved to be too much for New Zealand to handle.
