PAK Vs NZ 3rd T20I | Playing 11 Prediction, Cricket Tips, Preview & Live Streaming

Babar Azam's dismissal against New Zealand in 2nd T20I (AP Photo)

Pakistan and New Zealand will collide in the third T20I of their five-match series on April 21 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. After the damp-squib affair between the two sides at the same venue on April 18, the ‘Men in Green’ blanked their guests by seven wickets in the second game to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

PAK vs NZ 3rd T20I: Team Previews

Pakistan

Pakistan upstaged New Zealand by seven wickets and with 47 balls to spare at Rawalpindi on April 20 to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Shaheen Afridi, who took the lone wicket from the rain-curtailed first T20I, shattered New Zealand’s batting order with a sizzling three-fer in the second. His bowling teammates Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Abrar Ahmed and Shadab Khan also made timely breakthroughs throughout the game to help Pakistan envelop the ‘Black Caps’ for just 90.

Later in the match, senior batter Mohammad Rizwan conjured 45 unbeaten runs to steer his side to a clinical win in just 12.1 overs.

Azam Khan, who did not feature in Pakistan’s playing XI for the second T20I, will also be unavailable for selection in the third considering the wicketkeeper-batter has been ruled out of the remainder of the series owing to an injury.

New Zealand

With a number of players opting themselves out of Pakistan tour to prioritise the IPL 2024 in India, a depleted New Zealand cricket team crashed to a huge defeat in the second T20I of their five-match series.

Against the might of Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and comeback man Mohammad Amir, no New Zealand batter managed to score 20 or above in their low-scoring innings on April 20. New Zealand’s bowling attack also looked fragile against Mohammad Rizwan’s masterclass, as they failed to make a fight of a meagre batting total upfront.

With a T20 World Cup in sight, the ‘Black Caps’ will be aiming to find some form with the bat and ball if they are to bring their away series to levelling terms before heading off to Lahore next week.

PAK vs NZ 3rd T20I: Match Details & Live Streaming 

PAK vs NZ 3rd T20I: Rawalpindi Pitch Report

The surface at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium provides considerable assistance to fast bowlers, with something on offer for the spinners as well. The average first innings total at the venue across all six T20Is played here has been 130. The captain winning the toss will likely opt to field first, considering the chasing sides have won each of the completed T20I fixtures at Rawalpindi, including Pakistan’s latest seven-wicket triumph here on April 20.

PAK vs NZ 3rd T20I: Probable Playing 11

Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Usman Khan, Irfan Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir and Abrar Ahmed.

New Zealand: Tim Seifert (wk), Tim Robinson, Dean Foxcroft, Mark Chapman, James Neesham, Michael Bracewell (c), Cole McConchie, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy, Ben Sears and Ben Lister.

PAK vs NZ 3rd T20I: Fantoss Fantasy Tips 

PAK vs NZ 3rd T20I: Winner Prediction

Owing to their dominant outing at Rawalpindi on April 20, hosts Pakistan will once again start out as firm favourites to upstage a depleted New Zealand unit in the third T20I of their five-match series.

---

ALSO READ

Pakistan Power Hitter Azam Khan Ruled Out Of New Zealand Series; Here's the Reason

---