New Zealand vs Pakistan 2025 Match Preview, 1st T20I

The first T20I in a five-match series between New Zealand and Pakistan takes place at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Sunday, March 16.

The Kiwis recently reached the finals of the 2025 Champions Trophy, where they faced defeat against India. However, only seven players from that squad have been picked for the series against Pakistan. Some of the top stars in New Zealand cricket will not be available as they will be competing in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Michael Bracewell will take charge in the absence of Mitchell Santner, who will turn up for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025.

The onus will be on Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, and Daryl Mitchell to fire in the batting department. James Neesham and Bracewell will have important roles to play as all-rounders in the side. Meanwhile, Kyle Jamieson, Will O'Rourke, and Jacob Duffy are expected to be the three specialist seamers in action. The Kiwis were involved in a three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka at home earlier in the 2024-2025 season. They won by a 2-1 margin.

Pakistan have not had a great time in the sport of late. They failed to reach the knockouts in the Champions Trophy, losing to India and New Zealand in the group stage. The selectors reacted to the debacle by dropping skipper Mohammad Rizwan and the experienced Babar Azam from the T20I series. Salman Ali Agha will be leading the side against the Blackcaps.

Pakistan's last T20I assignment was against South Africa in the Rainbow Nation in December 2024. The Men in Green lost the three-match series 2-0 as the final T20I was abandoned due to rain. Saim Ayub's performance with the bat was a rare silver lining in that series. However, the talented southpaw continues to stay on the sidelines, recuperating from an ankle injury. Fellow opener Fakhar Zaman suffered an injury during the Champions Trophy and he misses out too.

While Naseem Shah failed to find a place, Shadab Khan has not only been recalled but he has been appointed as Agha's deputy. The batting department is fairly inexperienced for Pakistan and the bowlers will have to take a lot of responsibility on the smaller grounds in New Zealand. Seasoned campaigners, Haris Rauf and Shaheen Shah Afridi will have to step up. It is going to be interesting to see how Agha leads his troops against the home side. Pakistan has faced a lot of criticism after the Champions Trophy debacle. Can the Men in Green put smiles back on the faces of their fans?

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