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Babar Azam (left) and Haris Rauf© AFP
Pakistan kicked off their T20I series against New Zealand with a big win thanks to Haris Rauf’s brilliant bowling performance in Lahore on Friday. The win was also special for skipper Babar Azam as he equaled MS Dhoni’s record of 41 wins as captain in T20I cricket. It was 100th T20I corresponds to Babar and 67th as captain of the Pakistan cricket team. Overall, Babar is second on the list of skippers with the most wins in the shortest format behind former England captain Eoin Morgan and ex-Afghan skipper Asghar Stanikzai. Both have led their national teams to 42 wins, with Babar just one win away from the world record.
Pakistan celebrated Skipper Babar Azam’s 100th shortest international match with an 88-run clinical victory in the first T20 against New Zealand in Lahore on Friday.
Azam fell short with just nine runs, but Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub scored 47 runs each and partnered with 79 runs for the third wicket to pin Pakistan on 182 for 19.5 overs.
Fast bowler Haris Rauf, one of five players returning from rest in Pakistan’s last series against Afghanistan, posted a career-best 4-18 as New Zealand lost 94 matches in 15.3 overs.
Left goaltender Imad Wasim finished 2-2 in his only over, taking both wickets off consecutive innings.
Mark Chapman scored the most points with 27 balls, 34, including four boundaries and six, while skipper Tom Latham scored 24 balls, 20.
Rauf’s previous best T20 record (4–22) was also achieved against New Zealand in Sharjah in 2021.
(with AFP inputs)
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