Pakistan vs New Zealand 2018: Top 4 performers from the T20I Series

Pakistan whitewashed the Kiwi side 3-0 in the recently concluded T20I Series
Pakistan whitewashed the Kiwi side 3-0 in the recently concluded T20I Series

New Zealand and Pakistan played a T20I series in the U.A.E last week, where Pakistan won all three matches to whitewash the Kiwi side and also extend their T20I series winning streak to 11. Earlier, the Pakistani side had defeated the Australian side before New Zealand visited the U.A.E. They convincingly defeated the NZ side in the shortest format of the game defeating them by 2 runs in the first match, 6 wickets in the 2nd T20I and by 47 runs to complete a clean sweep.

While New Zealand made a return to international cricket after a long break, the relentless Pakistan team gave them no time to settle down. Here's a look at the top 4 performers of the T20I series -

#1 Most Runs - Mohammad Hafeez (132)

Mohammad Hafeez continued his fine form with the bat
Mohammad Hafeez continued his fine form with the bat

Mohammad Hafeez was in fine touch against the Australian side when Pakistan clashed with them in the T20I series. He was the second highest run-getter in the series behind Babar Azam but he scored more runs than Azam in the series against New Zealand and finished at the top place in the list of the top scorers of the series.

The Pakistani all-rounder scored 132 runs in 3 matches at an average of 132 as he was dismissed only once in the 3 innings he played. He had a high score of 53* in the 3rd T20I which helped Pakistan complete a 3-0 clean sweep in the series. The stalwart scored 45 runs in the first match and stayed unbeaten on 34 in the 2nd T20I. He also had a healthy strike-rate of 145.05 in the series. Hafeez also picked one wicket in the three-match series.

#2 Highest individual score in an innings - Babar Azam

Babar Azam broke Virat Kohli's record of fastest 1,000 runs in the T20I format
Babar Azam broke Virat Kohli's record of fastest 1,000 runs in the T20I format

Just days after achieving pole position in the ICC T20I rankings, Babar Azam broke Virat Kohli's record of the quickest batsman to 1,000 runs in the shortest format of the game. He was the top run scored in the Australia series and finished second just to M Hafeez in the series against New Zealand. Azam scored 126 runs in the series with 79 of them coming in the final match.

Also Read - Pakistan vs Australia: Top 3 Performers of the T20I series

After poor scores in the first two matches, Babar Azam played a phenomenal knock of 79 runs at Dubai. Babar Azam played 58 balls and hit 7 fours and 2 sixes to help Pakistan reach 166/3 in their 20 overs. Azam lost his wicket in the 17th over to de Grandhomme but his innings helped his side win the match.

#3 Most Wickets - Adam Milne / Imad Wasim / Shadab Khan (4 wickets each)

Adam Milne played fewer matches than Imad Wasim and Shadab Khan yet managed to pick 4 wickets
Adam Milne played fewer matches than Imad Wasim and Shadab Khan yet managed to pick 4 wickets

New Zealand speedster Adam Milne picked 2 wickets each in the first and second game but could not make it to the playing XI of the 3rd match otherwise he could have been the leading wicket-taker of the series. Milne picked up the wickets of Babar Azam and Mohammad Hafeez in the first T20I while he dismissed Fakhar Zaman and Shoaib Malik in the 2nd match. However, his bowling efforts went in vain as his team failed to win a single match.

On the other side, Shadab Khan who was the leading wicket-taker in the Australia series continued his form in the New Zealand series picking 4 wickets in 3 matches while his team-mate Imad Wasim provided him some much-needed support scalping 4 wickets as well in the three matches he played.

#4 Best Bowling Figures - Shaheen Shah Afridi

Shaheen Afridi's match-winning spell helped restrict the New Zealand side to 153/7 in their 20 overs
Shaheen Afridi's match-winning spell helped restrict the New Zealand side to 153/7 in their 20 overs

Shaheen Afridi bowled one of the best spells of his career when he picked up 3 wickets, giving away just 20 runs in the 2nd T20I match of the series. In the only match where New Zealand batted first, Colin Munro and Kane Williamson dominated the opposition bowlers by smashing them all over the ground.

But the young Shaheen Afridi ran through the NZ batting order dismissing the likes of Glenn Phillips, skipper Kane Williamson, and wicket-keeper Seifert.

He had an economy rate of 5.0 in an innings where the overall run rate was above 7.5. Shaheen was rightly adjudged the Man of the Match for his commendable performance in the 2nd match.

Who do you think was the best performer of the Pakistan vs New Zealand series? Share your views in the comments box below.

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Edited by Arvind Sriram