πππππ :βΒ βNew Zealand vs Pakistan
ππππ : March 16, Sunday
ππππ : 06:45 AM ISTβββ
πππππ : Hagley Oval, Christchurch, New Zealand
ππππππππππ : 1st T20 2025
Preparation for the 2026 T20 World Cup begins as New Zealand host Pakistan in the first of five T20Is.
- New Zealand lost their last T20I but won their three previous fixtures.
- Pakistan have not won any of their last four games in this format.
- Of the last four T20I head to heads, both teams have won two matches each.
New Zealand vs Pakistan
TV channels: The fans can watch the match live on Hotstar
Live Streaming: Live streaming of the match will be available on the FAFA191 Cricket Exchange India and website.
NZ vs PAK Match Prediction & Analysis
With the ICC Champions Trophy in the past, and the Indian Premier League about to begin, the start of this New Zealand versus Pakistan series will capture the imagination of top-level cricket-hungry fans across the globe.
Beginning on Sunday afternoon at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, this game will be well attended with supporters of both sides likely to be making themselves heard!
Both teams will not be at their strongest with players either making themselves unavailable for the series, resting,Β or in the case of some New Zealanders, raring to go in the IPL.
TEAMS PREVIEW
New Zealand Preview
Although the likes of Kane Williamson, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Devon Conway, Will Young and Matt Henry, all of who were involved in New Zealandβs run to the final of the Champions Trophy, will not be in the team for the Black Caps on Sunday, they can still put out a side of recognisable names and full of talent.
Leading the charge with the bat will be Finn Allen who recovered from an awful run of scores early in the Big Bash League to show his quality and the experienced keeper-batter Tim Seifert is an accomplished player in this format.
The middle order of Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman and Michael Bracewell are all very strong internationals with the latter captaining the team and also a very strong spinner.
Ish Sodhi, Ben Sears and Jacob Duffy make up a quality bowling attack with James Neesham capable of delivering in both innings!
Pakistan Preview
Any Pakistan side without Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam is one which will not look as strong on paper. And that is certainly the case for this Pakistan team in this opening T20I.
Without the big names, there is an opportunity for the likes of Usman Khan to show off his attacking batting skills as well as his talents behind the stumps with the gloves.
Salman Agha will captain the side and has a strong record across all formats of late. He will be assisted by vice-captain Shadab Khan who can be inconsistent but is also a match-winner on his day.
Pakistanβs strongest suit in this game will undoubtedly be in their bowling attack. Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf both have experience and all the skills and will fancy their chances against this New Zealand top order.
Weather Conditions
The forecast is for an excellent day in Christchurch throughout Sunday afternoon and into the early evening. Expect the temperature to peak at 27 degrees.
NZ vs PAK Pitch Report
The pitch in Christchurch can sometimes be a little green at the start of multi-day games but we expect to see a dry and bare surface for this game. A par score is likely to be approaching 200.
Toss: To Bowl
With six of the last eight T20I games in Christchurch won by the team chasing, we expect both captains to be fairly sure of their decision which we predict will be to bowl first if they win the toss.