Sun Mar 16 01:40:00 UTC 2025: **Pakistan Struggles in First T20 Against New Zealand**
Christchurch, New Zealand – Pakistan got off to a disastrous start in their five-match T20 series against New Zealand, collapsing to 64/6 after 13 overs in the first match at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
Khusdil Shah top-scored for Pakistan with 32 runs before falling victim to Jacob Duffy’s bowling, caught by Finn Allen. Several other batsmen failed to make a significant contribution, with wickets falling regularly. Other notable dismissals included Asif Ali, caught by Tim Seifert off Ish Sodhi, and Shadab Khan, caught by Tim Robinson off Kyle Jamieson.
The New Zealand bowlers were consistently on top, with Duffy (3/12) and Sodhi (2/16) being particularly effective in stifling the Pakistan batting line-up. The run rate remained consistently low throughout the innings, hindering Pakistan’s attempts to build momentum.
While Khushdil Shah did hit a couple of sixes against Michael Bracewell and also another six by Ish Sodhi, and Asif Ali hit a boundary against the same bowler, it wasn’t enough to prevent a significant early collapse. The Pakistan team will need a significant improvement in their batting performance if they are to compete in the remaining matches of the series. The match continues.
First Piper 