NZ vs PAK: T20I Series – Top five performers

The five-match T20I series between New Zealand and Pakistan was finally concluded on Sunday, January 21 at Hagley Oval, Christchurch as Pakistan won the last match by 42 runs and successfully avoided a whitewash. The series was full of several notable performances from both teams as players rose to the occasion at crucial stages and delivered stellar performances. On that note, let’s take a look at the top performers from NZ vs PAK T20I series:

1) Finn Allen

The New Zealand opener finished as the leading run-scorer of the series with 275 runs to his name from five innings at an average of 55 and a strike rate of 195.03 with one hundred and one fifty. Allen played a breathtaking innings of 137 (62) balls in the fourth T20I and registered the highest individual score by a Kiwi batter in T20Is. He further levelled the record for most sixes in T20Is (16).

2) Babar Azam

The star Pakistan batter finished as the second-highest run-scorer of the series with 213 runs to his name from five innings at an average of 42.60 and a strike rate of 142. Babar was the top scorer for Pakistan in the first three matches with scores of 57 (35), 66 (43) and 58 (37) to his name but failed to take his team over the line as he didn’t get any support from others.

3) Tim Southee

The right-arm seamer finished as the leading wicket-taker of the series with 10 wickets to his name from five innings at an average of 14 and an economy of 7.17. Southee began the series in grand fashion as he registered figures of 4/25 and became the first bowler to breach the 150 wickets mark in the shortest format of the game.

4) Shaheen Afridi

The Pakistan skipper didn’t have a memorable first series as the full-time captain but didn’t fail to leave an impact with the ball. The left-arm seamer was the second-highest wicket-taker of the series with nine wickets from five innings at an average of 19.22 and an economy of 8.94. His best figures came during the fourth game when he delivered another one of his menacing new ball spells and picked 3/34 in four overs, albeit in a losing cause.

5) Adam Milne

The 31-year-old finished as the joint third-highest wicket-taker of the series having picked seven scalps from three matches at an average of 18.85 and an economy of 11. His best figures of 4/33 came in the second T20I in Christchurch as New Zealand won the match by 21 runs