In an odd moment during the third T20I between Pakistan and New Zealand, play stopped as the floodlights suddenly failed, just as New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy was ready for the key ball to Pakistan batter Tayyab Tahir. In Pakistan's innings, the incident was seen during the 39th over. Pakistan had a score of 218/8 when they were chasing a steep target, requiring 47 runs from 21 balls. Tayyab was batting quite confidently on 33 from 30 balls, along with tailender Akif Javed at the exact other end. Duffy, having figures of 1 for 39, began all during his run-up on just the seventh ball from his spell when, quite literally, everything went dark.

The blackout, quite sudden, stunned all of the people—players, fans, and commentators alike. Duffy attained quite his delivery stride. Then the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium floodlights cut out, plunging the field in darkness. Both of the batters, along with the bowler, instinctively stopped themselves, with complete confusion coupled with laughter spreading across the entire ground.

This game keeps on giving 😭 pic.twitter.com/5Th8U37sRm

— psyf (@PsyfeR888) April 5, 2025

Also Read: Players who got retired out in IPL history

Due to one unforeseen issue, a pause occurred while stagehands were fixing all of the lights. During that short break, players all gathered together and chatted, while social media then exploded with various reactions to that surreal scene. The fans joked of how the pressure of tense final overs was a lot to handle. Even those lights could not quite handle those tense final overs. Fortunately, this issue was absolutely resolved promptly, and then play resumed without more hiccups. Even though it did not quite change up the final outcome, the moment has now earned its place in cricketing folklore.

Also Read: IPL 2025: SRH vs GT - A Head to Head breakdown

Khushdil Shah confronts fans taunting Pakistan team after their dismal performance

Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand ended not only in a disappointing series loss but also amid controversy, as all-rounder Khushdil Shah became involved in a heated exchange with fans after the third ODI in Mount Maunganui. Clearly frustrated, Khushdil had to be restrained by teammates and security personnel after reacting to taunts from the crowd.

The altercation occurred shortly after Pakistan’s 43-run defeat, which sealed a 3-0 whitewash in the ODI series, following a 4-1 loss in the preceding T20Is. Eyewitnesses reported that some fans directed personal and provocative remarks at the players as they exited the field. In response, an angered Khushdil turned back to confront the crowd, continuing the verbal exchange despite attempts by others to calm the situation.

The third ODI between Pakistan (PAK) and New Zealand (NZ) will be played on April 5, 2025, at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui.  New Zealand will seek to increase their lead, whereas Pakistan will hope to recover and tie the series. New Zealand currently lead the series 2-0 and will be aiming to win the final ODI to complete a whitewash against a struggling Pakistan team.

Match Details: NZ vs PAK 3rd ODI

• Match Date: April 5, 2025
• Venue:  Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui
• Match Time: 3:30 AM IST (Indian Standard Time)

Live Streaming & Broadcast Details

Cricket fans can watch the match live through various broadcasting platforms:

For Viewers in India

• TV Broadcast: Sony Sports Network
• Live Streaming: Sony LIV app and website, FanCode app and website

For Viewers in Pakistan

• TV Broadcast: PTV Sports
• Live Streaming: ARY ZAP and Tamasha app

For Viewers in New Zealand

• TV Broadcast: Sky Sport NZ
• Live Streaming: Sky Go and Spark Sport

ALSO READ:NZ vs PAK Prediction– 3rd ODI, Who will win today?

NZ vs PAK Predicted Playing XI

PAK Probable Playing XI

Imam Ul Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Salman Agha, Mohammad Rizwan, Tayyab Tahir, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Khusdil Shah, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed

NZ Probable Playing XI

Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Nick Kelly, Muhammad Abbas, Mitchell Hay, Mark Chapman, Michael Bracewell, Nathan Smith, Ben Sears, Will O Rourkee, Adithya Ashok 

NZ vs PAK Match Preview

New Zealand will look to finish a clean sweep against Pakistan in the third and final ODI on the tour on Saturday. The game will be held at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. This appeared to be a likely proposition as Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan joined the Pakistan squad, but they were unable to improve the results, and the pair will need to step up another level in this game to level the series. Without Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan's fast bowlers impressed in the initial game in Napier, but Salman Aghan and Irfan Khan's ten overs cost 118 runs, and the tourists must find a more competitive option to fill the fifth bowler gap.

NZ vs PAK Match Details

New Zealand vs Pakistan – 3rd Match, ODI Match

Venue: Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui

Date & Time: 05th April 2025 at 03:30 AM IST 

Live Streaming: Disney+Hotstar

NZ vs PAK Venue Stats

NZ vs PAK Pitch Report

The pitch provides a well-balanced surface that will appeal to both batters and bowlers. Pacers can extract movement early on, especially under lights, while spinners improve with each game. 

NZ vs PAK Weather Report

This has consistently been a good batting wicket, and we expect both teams to score high totals. The par score for batting first in this game will be around 180.

NZ vs PAK Last Five Matches

NZ vs PAK Head-to-Head Stats

Injury News

No Injury. Will be added when there is an update.

Also Read: PPS vs NML Dream11 Prediction Match 12

NZ vs PAK Probable Playing XIs:

Pakistan Probable Playing XIs

Abdullah Shafique, Usman Khan, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (c) (wk), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Akif Javed, Mohammad Ali

New Zealand Probable Playing XIs

Will Young, Nick Kelly, Henry Nicholls, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Muhammad Abbas, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Hay (wk), Nathan Smith, Jacob Duffy, Will O'Rourke

Topmost Picks for NZ vs PAK Dream11 Prediction:

Top Picks – New Zealand

• Mark Chapman – Mark Chapman was one of New Zealand's top scorers in the previous T20I series, scoring 122 runs in four innings, including a high score of 94.
• Jacob Duffy – Jacob Duffy was New Zealand's leading wicket-taker in the previous T20I series against Pakistan, taking 13 wickets in five innings and averaging 8.38.

Top Picks – Pakistan

• Salman Agha – Salman Agha was Pakistan's only major contributor with the bat in the T20I series, scoring 167 runs in five innings at an average of 41.75. 
• Haris Rauf –  In the ODI game against New Zealand, Haris Rauf was Pakistan's second leading wicket-taker, with 5 wickets in 3 innings and an average of 19.80.

Suggested Playing XI N0.1 for NZ vs PAK Dream11 Team:

Mohammad Rizwan, Mitchell Hay, Babar Azam, Daryl Mitchell, Nick Kelly, Michael Bracewell, Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir(VC), Nathan Smith, Jacob Duffy(C), Naseem Shah

Suggested Playing XI N0.2 for NZ vs PAK Dream11 Team:

Mohammad Rizwan, Mitchell Hay, Babar Azam(VC), Daryl Mitchell(C), Nick Kelly, Michael Bracewell, Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Nathan Smith, Jacob Duffy, Naseem Shah

Captain and Vice-Captain Options:

Captain – Daryl Mitchell, Jacob Duffy

Vice-captain – Babar Azam, Tayyab Tahir

Wicketkeeper – Mohammad Rizwan

NZ vs PAK Probable Winners:

Pakistan demonstrated that they have the players to give New Zealand problems with their bats and balls in the first game, but the issue is depth across both disciplines. New Zealand understands the conditions well and has players who are capable of contributing throughout their team, so we are backing them to win another game and take the series with one game remaining! Considering the team combination, New Zealand is expected to win this match.

Pakistan have been fined for a slow over-rate for the third time in four ODIs, with another fine imposed upon them after they were found one over short during the second game against New Zealand in Hamilton.

This is their second successive over-rate offence in the current series. Captain Mohammad Rizwan admitted the charge, resulting in a five percent deduction from the match fees of the players.

Match referee Jeff Crowe handed down the penalty under Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which deals with over-rate offences. Under the rule, players are fined 5 percent of their match fees for every over the team does not bowl within the time limit. The charge was brought by on-field umpires Michael Gough and Wayne Knights, third umpire Paul Reiffel, and fourth umpire Chris Brown.

ALSO SEE: Who is Angkrish Raghuvanshi? A Rising Star in Indian Cricket

Repeated Over-Rate Violations

Pakistan were earlier discovered two overs short in the first ODI of the three-match series in Napier, where they lost by 73 runs. Their woes continued in the second ODI, where they lost by 84 runs, losing the series with a game to spare. Pursuing a score of 293, Pakistan folded to 72 for 7 before No. 7 Faheem Ashraf and No. 10 Naseem Shah resisted with half-centuries, taking the team to 208. New Zealand wicketkeeper Mitchell Hay's unbeaten 99 earlier took his team to 292, while fast bowler Ben Sears took his career-best ODI figures of 5 for 59.

ALSO SEE: New ACC President: Mohsin Naqvi to Lead Asian Cricket’s Future

Pakistan were fined for a slow over-rate as well in the first match of the 2025 Champions Trophy, which was against New Zealand as well. Pakistan has now been fined in three consecutive ODIs against New Zealand and three of their previous four completed matches.

New Zealand make easy work of Pakistan and Pakistan's concerns continue to grow. They are far from a quality side at the moment, failing to compete at the higher level and are just waiting for something to happen at them moment.

NZ vs PAK Match Details

Date: April 5th, 2025

Time:  3:30 AM IST

Venue: Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui

New Zealand vs Pakistan Weather Report

Clear weather and a nice evening are expected for the game.

New Zealand vs Pakistan Pitch Report

Average Score Batting First in the last five games: 277

Average Score Batting Second in the last five games: 280

Wins Batting First in the last five games: 2

Wins Batting Second in the five games: 3

Run scoring is not the biggest of challenges at Bay Oval and batting second continues to work better.

See Also: NZ vs PAK Dream XI Prediction

New Zealand vs Pakistan Head-to-Head

NZ vs PAK Predicted Playing XI

PAK Playing XI

Imam Ul Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Salman Agha, Mohammad Rizwan, Tayyab Tahir, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Khusdil Shah, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed

NZ Playing XI

Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Nick Kelly, Muhammad Abbas, Mitchell Hay, Mark Chapman, Michael Bracewell, Nathan Smith, Ben Sears, Will O Rourkee, Adithya Ashok 

See Also: 

NZ vs PAK Key Players

Mohammad Rizwan

Rizwan, sacked as T20 skipper has a point to prove. He struggled in the Champions Trophy and will be eager to make things right.

Nathan Smith

Nathan Smith has a role to play and he has done the role well in the past. He is a handy batter down the order and chips in with some quiet overs pretty well too. 

NZ vs PAK Match Tips

Both teams are a little short on experience and home advantage could keep New Zealand favourites to start.

Match Prediction: New Zealand Will Win the Match

New Zealand fast bowler Jacob Duffy is currently at number one in ICC T20I rankings, pipping West Indian pacer Akeal Hosein. All his brilliant displays of bowling for his team against Pakistan in recent T20I matches contributed to achieving this honor.

Dominant Performance Against Pakistan

Duffy was the highest wicket-taker in the five-match T20I series, taking 13 wickets at a batting average of 8.38 and an economy rate of 6.16. His master bowling was the major contributor to New Zealand's 4-1 series win.

With 723 rating points, he overtook Hosein (707 points) to rank as the No.1 T20I bowler.

ALSO SEE: Watch: Mohammed Siraj's dream delivery sends Devdutt Padikkal's stumps flying

Pakistan should learn from Australia india, high quality coach should hire from Australia like batting like gilchirst, pontting, bowler should be glen macgrah , now cricket is 400 run not 200 run, Pakistan still playing child cricket, stupid batting blowing fielding line

— Mehedi Hasan (@MehediHasa43846) April 2, 2025

New Zealand using their C team to farm a weak team like Pakistan to climb the leaderboards.

— S!rZapsALot (@NanamiUchihaaa) April 2, 2025

🚨 New No.1 Ranked T20I Bowler after picking up 13 Wickets in T20I Series against Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/rxbknMqzgF

— Fastest (@adnan66789p) April 2, 2025

🚨 New No.1 Ranked T20I Bowler after picking up 13 Wickets in T20I Series against Pakistan.@BLACKCAPS @ICC #Cricket pic.twitter.com/40pFTz6gXP

— Shoaib Ahmed (@Shoaib_say) April 2, 2025

New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy has become the number-one ranked T20I bowler in the world. He clinched 13 wickets in five matches against Pakistan to topple Akeal Hosein and move to the top of the table.#jacobduffy #newzealand #t20bestbowler #bestbowler pic.twitter.com/57xswVf42f

— IndiaTV English (@indiatv) April 2, 2025

Jacob Duffy Number one bowler in T20 after taking 13 wickets in the T20 series against Pakistan pic.twitter.com/mB2yesuFQX

— Hashim Tufail (@PakistaniH47165) April 2, 2025

New No.1 ranked T20I bowler crowned following heroics against Pakistan - ICC Cricket - https://t.co/LVQJmeUNZN #GoogleAlerts

— MOIZ ESUFALLY (@moizesufally) April 2, 2025

🚨 Jacob Duffy makes a four-step leap in the ICC Men's T20I bowling rankings to claim the No. 1 spot in the world 🔝#Blackcaps | #ICC pic.twitter.com/Uh0Atj6weW

— Cricketangon (@cricketangon) April 2, 2025

Jacob Duffy ne bajaya Ghanta 🔔 https://t.co/UPtChkMozc

— ` (@Manan_Vk) April 2, 2025

abe kaun hai yeh Jacob Duffy?

— K (@BaaghiKabira) April 2, 2025

#Jacob Duffy, who helped #NewZealand register an emphatic 4-1 series triumph against Pakistan in the recently concluded five-match series, has moved to the top spot in latest ICC T20I rankings for bowlers.https://t.co/2aIWSWjLH5

— News9 (@News9Tweets) April 2, 2025

Jacob Duffy goes to number one!!!https://t.co/jD4MR2ICF6

— Vincent Jones (@JonesVincentt) April 2, 2025

Jacob Duffy Another NZ Cricketer Maturing With Age.

The New Matt Henry.

Test Cricket Beckons Now.#NewZealandCricket#PAKvNZ

— .. (@BeingHumanAlwys) April 2, 2025

Twitter Goes Wild with Funny Reactions to New Zealand vs Pakistan that Will Make You Smile

Though fans were disappointing after Pakistan’s last match against New Zealand, it did elicit an array of funny reactions on social media. The joke parade commenced the moment the laughably pathetic sporting performance of the national team was unveiled, while Faheem Ashraf and Naseem Shah attempted to show some fight. 

Pakistan was defeated by New Zealand by 84 runs, scoring just 208 runs in return. Naseem Shah made his debut fifty for Pakistan, while Faheem Ashraf gave a valuable knock of 73 runs.

New Zealand's Mitchell Hay was left on 99*, while Ben Sears dismantled the batting order of Pakistan with a five-wicket performance (5/59), closing the fate of the team.

Social media had a field day describing the match: 

While some were irritated, others turned their disappointment into sarcasm. One Twitter user cracked, "Pakistan's batting order is like a Netflix free trial—functions for a couple of days, then vanishes!"

One user commented, “Pakistan’s batting order is like defined-occurrence in a packed area, starts off well but ultimately fades away and disappears.” 

Another tweeted, “Why do the Malaysian batsman uses a pencil in the match? To draw circles on the scoring table!” 

A disappointed fan followed on Twitter, “Pakistan strategy: Any known method of beating or baffling the opponent, confuse them by losing at the onset.” 

Brilliant former cricketers could not even contain themselves, cracking jokes like, “Great stamina shown by Faheem & Naseem, but i guess all the rest of the batting order decided it was a day off, which was a little disappointing!” said Wasim Akram. 

While the defeat was absolutely ridiculous, at least the memes were utterly hilarious. The fans are obviously wishing and hoping that after this incredible mess they clean up their act for the next matches and sail straight to victory, but until then laughter is guaranteed.

Saar Let's blame Babar Azam for the other six batters as well, for some reach and views from across the border so that, as usual, we won't be able to find the real problems in the team pic.twitter.com/OYqvq6EUt5

— Hassan Abbasian (@HassanAbbasian) April 2, 2025

Babar Azam's form difficulty is temporary; class is permanent. A big innings is right around the corner; be bold! "But who knows when?#BabarAzam𓃵 #PAKvsNZ pic.twitter.com/UgIYZ6r8zh

— Mirza Talha Baig (@Talha_mirza5) April 2, 2025

If the opposition removes Babar Azam, it’s deeply disappointed as it marks the collapse of Pakistan’s batting order. #PakistanCricket #BabarAzam #NZvPAK #PAKvNZ#BabarAzam𓃵 #PAKvsNZ #NZvsPAK#Paki pic.twitter.com/fH03v48Jf6

— Veeresh Kumar (@VeereshKum9526) April 2, 2025

Babar Azam & Rizwan Both Missed The Centuries By 99 & 95 Runs Respectively! #NZvPAK pic.twitter.com/oO95HdOXZf

— Gaurang Mestry (@Gaurang321) April 2, 2025

Fantastic century by Babar Azam. 🤣🤣🤣

— T#€ 🅱💙🆖 Gu¥ 🇮🇳 (@SarkarSpeaking) April 2, 2025

🏆🏏|| Cricket Update: Pak 🇵🇰 🆚 🇳🇿NZ, 2nd ODI

🇵🇰 Pakistan: 72/7 (21.1/50 overs, Target: 293)
🇵🇰 Pakistan need 244 runs from 35.1 overs.😂😂

Pakistan plays Pathetic Cricket, a horrible Cricket board @TheRealPCB, and a third-class team. #NZvPAK #PakistanCricket pic.twitter.com/N9RHVhfFTv

— 🏹Aatif Astrologer (@CelestialAatif) April 2, 2025

O Teri! Bobzy ka to 'Hi Te Bye' ho gaya👋😂🤪

Pakistan in tatters against New Zealand in 2nd ODI in Hamilton.

PAK 32/5 in 11.4 overs chasing 293 to win in 50 overs.#NZvsPAK pic.twitter.com/VJTf4M0bx6

— Levi Nagawkar (@Levi_Nagawkar) April 2, 2025

Also Read :-Is Rishabh Pant Overrated? Twitter Reacts to His Latest IPL Failure

Also Read:-Watch: Virat Kohli bursts into laughter after noticing man in CSK jersey at his restaurant

Also Read:-IPL 2025: Know why Azmatullah Omarzai is not in Starting XI in LSG vs PBKS Match 13

New Zealand has again demonstrated their superiority over Pakistan, taking the ODI series 2-0* after thrashing them 4-1 in the T20I series. What's more impressive? They did it without 11 of their most important players!

No Big Names? No Problem!

New Zealand was missing some of their biggest stars:

• No Kane Williamson
• No Mitchell Santner
• No Rachin Ravindra
• No Devon Conway
• No Lockie Ferguson
• No Glenn Phillips
• No Matt Henry
• No Kyle Jamieson
• No Tom Latham
• No Will Young
• No Ish Sodhi

Despite this, the Black Caps dominated Pakistan across formats, demonstrating the depth and power of their cricketing system.

Pakistan Left Pondering Answers

Pakistan entered the series with a close to full-strength team but couldn't keep up with New Zealand's intensity and execution. The T20I series was concluded in a 4-1 thrashing, and now the ODIs have been concluded in New Zealand's favor as well.

This overawing performance is indicative of New Zealand's phenomenal team culture and depth of talent pool. Even with their superstars missing, they still manage to win.

Pakistan, however, will have to look back on these crushing losses and work on how to regain their momentum.

ALSO SEE: Universe Boss Picks His Best IPL XI: The Ultimate T20 Powerhouse

T20I Series: A 4-1 Thrashing

Pakistan, with their near-strength team, had great expectations of victorious wins in the T20I series. New Zealand's second-string team crushed them 4-1, revealing glaring gaps in Pakistan's game.

ODI Series: Kiwis Seal the Trophy 2-0

The ODIs were also on the same page. New Zealand was merciless, dominating Pakistan with intelligent strategies and clinical performances. Even without their lead stars, they appeared much stronger than Pakistan, who fought with both bat and ball.

What This Means for New Zealand

This series victory is an exhibition of the solidity and robustness of New Zealand's cricket structure. Despite lacking their established players, they have managed to secure victories comfortably. Their capacity to develop young cricketers and sustain a stable team culture is one of the largest explanations of their ongoing performance in international cricket.

What This Means for Pakistan

This is a wake-up call for Pakistani cricket. Beating a decimated New Zealand team in both T20Is and ODIs is a serious cause for concern. With their full-strength team, they should have done better, but instead, they seemed clueless. Their batting was inconsistent, and their bowling was ineffective.

New Zealand has again humiliated Pakistan on their home soil, even though they were missing 11 of their main players. This overawing performance says a lot about their cricket set-up, whereas Pakistan has to return to the drawing board and sort out problems before their next major challenge.

NZ vs PAK Match Preview

After a very biased T20I series, there was a lot of hope among Pakistan cricket fans and cricket watchers around the world that the ODIs is a more competitive affair. This appeared to be a likely proposition as Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan joined the Pakistan squad, but they were unable to improve the results, and the pair will need to step up another level in this game to level the series. Without Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan's fast bowlers impressed in the initial game in Napier, but Salman Aghan and Irfan Khan's ten overs cost 118 runs, and the tourists must find a more competitive option to fill the fifth bowler gap.

NZ vs PAK Match Details

New Zealand vs Pakistan – 2nd Match, ODI Match

Venue: Seddon Park, Hamilton

Date & Time: 02nd April 2025 at 03:30 AM IST 

Live Streaming: Disney+Hotstar

NZ vs PAK Venue Stats

NZ vs PAK Pitch Report

The pitch provides a well-balanced surface that will appeal to both batters and bowlers. Pacers can extract movement early on, especially under lights, while spinners improve with each game. 

NZ vs PAK Weather Report

This has consistently been a good batting wicket, and we expect both teams to score high totals. The par score for batting first in this game will be around 180.

NZ vs PAK Last Five Matches

NZ vs PAK Head-to-Head Stats

Injury News

No Injury. Will be added when there is an update.

Also Read: PPS vs NML Dream11 Prediction Match 12

NZ vs PAK Probable Playing XIs:

Pakistan Probable Playing XIs

Abdullah Shafique, Usman Khan, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (c) (wk), Salman Agha (c), Tayyab Tahir, Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Akif Javed, Mohammad Ali

New Zealand Probable Playing XIs

Will Young, Nick Kelly, Henry Nicholls, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Muhammad Abbas, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Hay (wk), Nathan Smith, Jacob Duffy, Will O'Rourke

Topmost Picks for NZ vs PAK Dream11 Prediction:

Top Picks – New Zealand

• Mark Chapman – Mark Chapman was one of New Zealand's top scorers in the previous T20I series, scoring 122 runs in four innings, including a high score of 94.
• Jacob Duffy – Jacob Duffy was New Zealand's leading wicket-taker in the previous T20I series against Pakistan, taking 13 wickets in five innings and averaging 8.38.

Top Picks – Pakistan

• Salman Agha – Salman Agha was Pakistan's only major contributor with the bat in the T20I series, scoring 167 runs in five innings at an average of 41.75. 
• Haris Rauf –  In the ODI game against New Zealand, Haris Rauf was Pakistan's second leading wicket-taker, with 5 wickets in 3 innings and an average of 19.80.

Suggested Playing XI N0.1 for NZ vs PAK Dream11 Team:

Tim Seifert(VC), Mohammad Haris, Daryl Mitchell, Irfan Khan, Salman Agha(VC), Shadab Khan, Michael Bracewell, James Neesham, Will O’Rourke, Abbas Afridi, Shaheen Shah Afridi

Suggested Playing XI N0.2 for NZ vs PAK Dream11 Team:

Tim Seifert, Mohammad Haris, Daryl Mitchell(C), Irfan Khan, Salman Agha, Shadab Khan(VC), Michael Bracewell, James Neesham, Will O’Rourke, Abbas Afridi, Shaheen Shah Afridi

Captain and Vice-Captain Options:

Captain – Michael Bracewell, Daryl Mitchell

Vice-captain – Salman Agha, Shadab Khan,

Wicketkeeper – Tim Seifert

NZ vs PAK Probable Winners:

Pakistan demonstrated that they have the players to give New Zealand problems with their bats and balls in the first game, but the issue is depth across both disciplines. New Zealand understands the conditions well and has players who are capable of contributing throughout their team, so we are backing them to win another game and take the series with one game remaining! Considering the team combination, New Zealand is expected to win this match.

New Zealand's bench is making easy work of Pakistan. Pakistan are close to full-strength and their line-up showed glimpses of something to come but New Zealand will be a lot happier with how they went early on in the game.

NZ vs PAK Match Details

Date: April 2nd, 2025

Time:  3:30 AM IST

Venue: Seddon Park, Hamilton

New Zealand vs Pakistan Weather Report

Clear weather and a nice evening are expected for the game.

New Zealand vs Pakistan Pitch Report

Average Score Batting First in the last five games: 286

Average Score Batting Second in the last five games: 234

Wins Batting First in the last five games: 3

Wins Batting Second in the five games: 2

ODIs have been scarce at Napier with the last five all going the way of the team batting second. Results give an easy indicator of which way to go when winning the toss. A green tinge indicates there is swing early on impacting sides batting first.

See Also: NZ vs PAK Dream XI Prediction

New Zealand vs Pakistan Head-to-Head

NZ vs PAK Predicted Playing XI

PAK Playing XI

Imam Ul Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Salman Agha, Mohammad Rizwan, Tayyab Tahir, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Khusdil Shah, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed

NZ Playing XI

Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Nick Kelly, Muhammad Abbas, Mitchell Hay, Mark Chapman, Michael Bracewell, Nathan Smith, Ben Sears, Will O Rourkee, Adithya Ashok 

See Also: 

NZ vs PAK Key Players

Mohammad Rizwan

Rizwan, sacked as T20 skipper has a point to prove. He struggled in the Champions Trophy and will be eager to make things right.

Nathan Smith

Nathan Smith has a role to play and he has done the role well in the past. He is a handy batter down the order and chips in with some quiet overs pretty well too. 

NZ vs PAK Match Tips

Both teams are a little short on experience and home advantage could keep New Zealand favourites to start.

Match Prediction: New Zealand Will Win the Match