Pakistan defeats New Zealand by 88 runs in the first T20I of the series

In the first T20 international match of the five-game series between Pakistan (PAK) and New Zealand (NZ), PAK emerged victorious with a commanding 88-run lead over NZ at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium.

Winning the toss, PAK chose to bat first and managed to score 182 runs in 19 overs, with Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub contributing 47 runs each. However, PAK was bowled out by NZ in the last ball of the innings. PAK's bowling team was successful in restricting NZ's innings, dismissing them for a mere 94 runs by the 16th over, with Haris Rauf's spell of 4/17 being the standout performance.

PAK would be pleased with their all-round performance, which would undoubtedly raise their morale heading into the next match. NZ, on the other hand, will need to improve significantly to secure a positive outcome in the next game. Although Mark Henry's spell of 3/32 resulted in a hat-trick, it was the only positive for NZ in this match.

Haris was named the Man of the Match for his remarkable bowling performance, which helped PAK secure their convincing win.