Islamabad, 23 March 2025: Pakistan recorded their worst-ever T20I defeat as New Zealand stormed to a resounding 115-run victory at Bay Oval, taking an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
Chasing a daunting 221-run target, Pakistan crumbled under pressure, folding for just 105 in 16.2 overs.
The loss surpassed their previous heaviest T20I defeat—a 95-run setback, also against New Zealand, in Wellington in 2016.
The tourists endured a disastrous start, losing three wickets for just nine runs inside the first two overs. The collapse deepened as they slumped to 56-8 by the 10th over.
Jacob Duffy and Zak Foulkes dismantled Pakistan’s batting lineup under the floodlights, sharing six wickets while extracting significant movement from the surface.
Irfan Khan Niazi (24) was the only top-order batter to cross double figures, while key players Mohammad Haris (2), Salman Ali Agha (1), Shadab Khan (1), and Khushdil Shah (6) fell cheaply.
Abdul Samad (44 off 30) helped Pakistan avoid their lowest-ever T20I total of 74 (against Australia in 2012) and their worst score against New Zealand (91 in the first match of this series).
New Zealand’s innings was powered by Finn Allen, who smashed a 19-ball half-century, while Michael Bracewell added an unbeaten 46 off 26 balls.
Haris Rauf was Pakistan’s standout bowler, taking 3-27, but the rest of the attack struggled, conceding over 10 runs per over.
