New Zealand Vs Pakistan Head To Head Ahead Of 1st T20I At Hagley Oval

Michael Bracewell vs Salman Agha (Source: @BCCI/X.com, @grassrootscric/X.com)

Gear up for the first T20I of the five-match T20I series between New Zealand and Pakistan, to be played at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch. This high-profile encounter will take place on Sunday, March 16, 2025, from 6:45 AM IST.

After the disappointment of losing the Champions Trophy 2025 final, the New Zealanders have announced a new-look side, to be led by all-rounder Michael Bracewell, who seems pretty excited about this new challenge. With as many as six players leaving for the upcoming IPL 2025, the Black Caps will only have seven of the players from the preceding squad. While Tim Seifert, Finn Allen, and James Neesham are also back in the mix after missing the previous T20I series.

On the other hand, Pakistan have totally gone the other way by announcing Salman Ali Agha as their new T20I skipper, while Shadab Khan is the vice-captain. The experienced duo of Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam have been dropped from the format, while the pace attack will have experienced Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf in the lineup. Meanwhile, Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub are not a part of the squad due to their respective injuries.

So, therefore, ahead of the game, let's have a detailed look at the New Zealand vs Pakistan head-to-head record.

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NZ vs PAK Head-to-Head In T20Is

The head-to-head record between New Zealand and Pakistan favors the Green team, as they are slightly ahead with 23 wins compared to New Zealand's 19. Both these sides have locked horns in 44 T20I matches, where two of them were abandoned due to rain, while 42 yielded a result.

NZ vs PAK Head-to-Head In Last 5 T20I Games

Comparing the last five T20I games between these two sides, the result is fairly equal, with Pakistan and New Zealand winning two each, while one was abandoned due to inclement weather. The two sides last met in the 5-match T20I series that was played in Pakistan in April 2024, and ended in a draw.

NZ vs PAK Head-to-Head In T20Is At Hagley Oval

The pitch at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch is generally a batting surface with higher scores on offer. There can be some form of seam movement early in the innings, but overall, it is likely to be a decent batting track. The team winning the toss will be more inclined towards chasing, as batting will get easier with the progression of the match.

In the five matches that have been played here between these two sides, Pakistan maintain an upper hand with three wins as compared to New Zealand's two.

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