Christchurch (New Zealand), March 16: New Zealand dominated Pakistan in the first T20I of their five-match series, winning by nine wickets and taking a 1-0 lead. Pakistan was bundled out for a mere 91 runs in 18.4 overs, with fiery spells from pacers Jacob Duffy and Kyle Jamieson leading the charge. New Zealand chased down the target in just 10.1 overs, losing only one wicket in the process.
This defeat marked Pakistan’s biggest loss in terms of balls remaining (59), as reported by Wisden. Their previous worst loss while chasing a target came against New Zealand in Wellington in 2016 when they were bowled out for 101, losing by 95 runs.
Pakistan’s struggle to set a strong foundation was evident, as the Kiwis’ bowlers dominated throughout. The Pakistani team, under new captain Salman Agha, could not kickstart their “fearless” approach as intended, with their top order failing to cope with the pace and bounce from the New Zealand quick bowlers.
This was also Pakistan’s lowest total in New Zealand, surpassing their previous record low of 101, also against New Zealand in 2016. Their struggle was compounded by the absence of experienced players like Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam, who were dropped after their underperformance in the 2025 Champions Trophy.
New Zealand’s dominant performance in both bowling and batting reflected their superiority. After restricting Pakistan to just 91, they made quick work of the chase, cruising to victory without much resistance. This result also puts Pakistan’s revamped team under pressure as they look to regroup for the upcoming matches in the series.
Pakistan’s next challenge will be to bounce back quickly and avoid further humiliation in the remaining games.