In a thrilling rain-affected match at the ICC World Cup, Fakhar Zaman and captain Babar Azam played pivotal roles in the 21-run victory of Pakistan over New Zealand, keeping their World Cup hopes alive.
New Zealand posted an imposing total of 401-6, and at the 21st over, Pakistan was at 160-1 when rain halted play at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India.
With a revised target of 342 runs to win in 41 overs, Fakhar Zaman had reached 126, and Babar Azam was on 66, with Pakistan at 200-1 in the 26th over when rain intervened again, this time bringing the game to a close. Pakistan was declared the winner as they were ahead of the required run rate.
Both Pakistan and New Zealand now have eight points and are still in contention for semi-final berths, with one match remaining for each team in the group stage.
During this World Cup clash, medium-pace bowler Hasan Ali achieved a significant milestone by completing 100 one-day international wickets. In the 11th over of the innings, he dismissed New Zealand opener Devon Conway for 35, reaching this milestone in his 66th ODI match. Hasan Ali becomes the 22nd Pakistani bowler to achieve the feat, with the legendary Wasim Akram leading the list with 502 wickets in 356 matches.
Shaheen Shah Afridi also reached the 100-wicket mark in Pakistan’s previous match against Bangladesh in Kolkata.
Babar Azam, who won the toss, chose to field first against New Zealand. Pakistan’s resurgence in the World Cup race was boosted by South Africa’s impressive 190-run victory over New Zealand earlier in the week.
