Pakistan suffered a humiliating nine-wicket defeat against New Zealand in the first T20I on Sunday, marking their worst-ever loss in the format in terms of balls remaining.
Batting first at Hagley Oval, Pakistan crumbled early as openers Mohammad Haris and Hasan Nawaz were dismissed for ducks. Irfan Khan followed with just one run, leaving the team struggling at 1/3 in 2.2 overs.
Despite a 32-run effort from Khushdil Shah and 18 from skipper Salman Agha, Pakistan managed only 91 runs in 18.4 overs—their fifth-lowest total in T20I history.
New Zealand chased down the target with ease, losing just one wicket and sealing the win with 59 balls to spare—making it Pakistan’s worst T20I defeat in terms of remaining deliveries.
This surpassed their previous worst—a nine-wicket loss to Australia in 2018, where 55 balls remained.
Additionally, Pakistan’s 91-run total is now their lowest-ever against New Zealand in T20Is, breaking their 101-run record set in Wellington in 2016.
The team now heads to Dunedin for the second match of the five-game series on Tuesday, hoping to bounce back from this embarrassing setback.