NZ Vs PAK, 1st T20I LIVE Score And Latest Updates: New Zealand have won the toss and opted to bowl first in the series opener against Pakistan.
The two nations are squaring off in a five-match T20 series beginning today the Hagley Oval in Christchurch following the ICC Champions Trophy which turned out to be vastly different for either side.
Pakistan, who entered the ICC CT 2025 as defending champions, were knocked out of the group stage in an unceremonious fashion, while the Kiwis made it all the way to the final only to succumb to India in the summit clash to lose out in yet another championship clash.
Pakistan are being led by new skipper Salman Ali Agha, with Shadab Khan serving as his deputy, while the Kiwis will be led by spinner Michael Bracewell.
NZ have also included pacers Will O’Rourke and Kyle Jamieson for the opening three games of the series, and they will be replaced by Matt Henry and Zak Foulkes for the penultimate and ultimate fixtures of the T20Is.
The second match is slated to be played at the University Oval in Dunedin. The series will head to Eden Park in Auckland for the third contest and the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui next for the fourth iteration before the five-match T20I series winds down with the final game in Wellington at the Sky Stadium on the 26th of the month, before the sides square off in a three-match ODI series, which is slated to begin on the 29th of March.
New Zealand Squad: Michael Bracewell (C), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Mitch Hay, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Will O’Rourke (Matches 1, 2 and 3), Kyle Jamieson (Matches 1, 2 and 3 only), Matt Henry (Matches 4 and 5), Zak Foulkes (Matches 4 and 5)
Pakistan Squad: Salman Ali Agha (C), Shadab Khan (Vc), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Jahandad Khan, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Haris, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousaf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim and Usman Khan
