NZ vs PAK 2025: New Zealand's Muhammad Abbas breaks Krunal Pandya's record for fastest half-century on ODI debut

New Zealand debutant Muhammad Abbas broke the record of India's star all-rounder Krunal Pandya after his brilliant performance in the first ODI against Pakistan at the McLean Park in Napier. The 21-year-old took the attack to the opponets and proved his mettle in international cricket.

Abbas, born in Lahore, gained recognition as a batting all-rounder in New Zealand. The youngster got his ODI call-up for the three-match ODI series against Pakistan. Abbas came into the setup after a decent run in First-Class cricket, where he has 1301 runs at an average slightly above 36. He has also played 16 List-A and 19 T20s, scoring 506 and 391 runs respectively.

Speaking of his international debut game, Abbas played an explosive innings of 52 off 26 deliveries, which included three fours and three sixes, striking at 200 in his innings. The knock pushed the Kiwis to amass a massive 344/9 on the board, with Mark Chapman slamming 132 off 111 and Daryl Mitchell getting 76 off 84.

Abbas' knock was enough to put him in the record books as he became the player with the fastest half-century on ODI debut, bringing up the milestone in just 24 deliveries. The previous record holder, Krunal, achieve the feat in 26 deliveries against England at the Maharashtra Cricket Association in Pune in 2021.

Having made a promising start to his international career, New Zealand will be hoping there will be more performances like this in the future.

Also Read: NZ vs PAK 2025, 1st ODI Review: New Zealand take early 1-0 lead as Mark Chapman stars with brilliant century

Speaking of the first ODI, the Kiwis took a 1-0 lead with a convincing 73-run win as Nathan Smith's four wicket-haul restricted Pakistan to 271 in response to New Zealand's 344. The next game of the series will be played on April 2 at the Seddon Park in Hamilton.