PAK vs NZ 1st T20: Dream 11 Prediction, best player picks and captaincy choices
PAK vs NZ T20 Live Streaming in India: The first encounter of the five-match T20 International series between the New Zealand National Cricket Team and the Pakistan National Cricket Team is slated to be played on Sunday, 16th of March at the Hagley Oval Stadium in Christchurch. The match will commence from 6:45 AM IST (Indian Standard Time).
Both teams recently squared off versus each other during the tri-series in Pakistan last month and also met each other in the Champions Trophy, where the Kiwis dominated the Shaheens as they secured wins in all three games.
Now, both sides will be seen clashing against each other in the five-match T20i series. Michael Bracewell will handle the leadership duties of the Blackcaps while Salman Ali Agha will be the captain of Pakistan. Apart from this, there are many star players in both the teams. Experienced players like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are not part of the team in Pakistan.
The last T20 series between Pakistan and New Zealand was held in April of 2024 where the five-match series was tied 2-2. Both the teams won two matches each. In such a situation, an exciting T20 series will be expected once again between the two rivals.
PAK vs NZ 1st T20: Head-2-Head record in T20 Internationals.
New Zealand and Pakistan have clashed 44 times in the T20 format versus each other, in which Pakistan seems to have the upper hand. The Green Shirts have secured wins in 23 out of 44 matches. Whereas the Kiwis have won on 19 occasions.
This shows that the Pakistani team have an advantage over New Zealand in the shortest format of the game. But, the Kiwis may get the advantage of playing at home.
PAK vs NZ 1st T20: Pitch Report & Weather Forecast of the Hagley Oval Stadium, Christchurch
The pitch at Hagley Oval is a balanced one, which provides assistance to both batsmen and bowlers. Fast bowlers may get movement with the ball in the beginning, while spinners may come into play later. A score of 160-170 is considered competitive at this ground. The team that wins the toss may decide to bowl first.
Talking about the weather report, according to the weather forecast reports of AccuWeather, the sun will shine brightly in the blue skies of Christchurch and the chances of rain intervening with the match are zero. The maximum temperature is anticipated to hover in the 26 degrees Celsius zone while the minimum temperature is expected to be around 14 degrees Celsius.
PAK vs NZ 1st T20: Probable Playing 11's of both teams
Pakistan's Probable Playing 11
1. Omair Yousuf
2. Hasan Nawaz
3. Salman Ali Agha (Captain)
4. Mohammad Haris (WK)
5. Shadab Khan
6. Khushdil Shah
7. Shaheen Shah Afridi
8. Jahandad Khan
9. Abrar Ahmed
10. Haris Rauf
11. Mohammad Ali
New Zealand's probable Playing 11
1. Finn Allen
2. Mark Chapman
3. Tim Seifert (WK)
4. Michael Bracewell (Captain)
5. Daryl Mitchell
6. Mitchell Hay
7. Jimmy Neesham
8. Ish Sodhi
9. Kyle Jamieson
10. Ben Sears
11. Jacob Duffy
HOT PICKS for the Pakistan vs New Zealand 1st T20i
Pakistan
Shadab Khan - Experienced spin bowling all-rounder Shadab Khan is making his comeback to the Pakistani team after a really long time. He wasn't part of the Champions Trophy team due to his lean run of form with the ball and now that he's back, he will be looking to make a statement to the selectors by performing well. He will contribute from both his batting and bowling and he will also be a good captaincy pick.
Shaheen Shah Afridi - Left arm seamer Shaheen Shah Afridi will been spearheading the Pakistani bowling attack against the Kiwis and his contributions with the ball will have a key role in his side's success. The pace friendly conditions of New Zealand will help him and he is will be a top pick against this opposition.
Salman Ali Agha - Salman Ali Agha was recently appointed as the captain of the Pakistan National Cricket Team by the selectors. He's a really experienced player who knows how to deliver in crunch situations and his ability to contribute with both bat & ball makes him an excellent pick for your fantasy teams.
New Zealand
Michael Bracewell - New Zealand skipper Michael Bracewell is a top all-rounder and has scored a total of 259 runs while also dismissing 28 batters in 27 T20 International matches. He's coming into this series on the back of a solid five wicket haul versus India in the Champions Trophy Final and he will surely prove to be an amazing pick for your fantasy teams.
Finn Allen - New Zealand's Finn Allen is an explosive batter who opens the innings and he has amassed 1,147 runs in 47 matches. He scored back-to-back hundreds against Pakistan during their previous T20 series in New Zealand and he will be looking to dominate the Pakistani bowlers again. He will prove to be a good captaincy pick.
Daryl Mitchell - Experienced All-rounder Daryl Mitchell will play an important role in the middle-order and the 32-year-old has been in good form leading upto this series versus Pakistan.
Best Dream 11 Team for the 1st T20i between Pakistan and New Zealand
Wicketkeepers - Tim Seifert
Batters - Finn Allen and Daryl Mitchell
All-rounders - Michael Bracewell, Salman Ali Agha , Shadab Khan and James Neesham
Bowlers - Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Will O'Rourke and Abbas Afridi
PAK vs NZ 1st T20i: Best Captain & Vice-Captain options
Shadab Khan, Michael Bracewell, Tim Seifert, Salman Ali Agha and Daryl Mitchell