New Zealand and Pakistan are gearing up for a five-match T20I series starting on March 16 at Hagley Oval, Christchurch.

New Zealand will play Pakistan in the opening T20I of Pakistan's tour of New Zealand. This game will be hosted at Christchurch's Hagley Oval. The tour has five T20 Internationals (T20Is), preceded by three One Day Internationals (ODIs), and will be held from March 16 to April 5.

Pakistan has appointed Salman Ali Agha as captain for this series in the absence of two experienced cricketers, Babar and Rizwan. The tour party includes new talent Abdul Samad and Hassan Nawaz, who have both been picked for the national side for the first time. New Zealand, meanwhile, has appointed seven players from its Champions Trophy final team for the series. All-rounder Michael Bracewell has been appointed captain.

The most recent T20I series between Pakistan and New Zealand was in April 2024. The series of five matches resulted in a draw with 2-2, as both teams had won two games each. It is sure to be an interesting match between these two teams.

Match Preview

New Zealand

While Kane Williamson, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Devon Conway, Will Young, and Matt Henry, who were all involved in New Zealand's Champions Trophy final run, are not present in the Black Caps squad on Sunday, they still have a team full of big names and a lot of talent.

The attack is commanded by Finn Allen, who regained form from a poor beginning at the start of the Big Bash League and proved his class. Seasoned keeper-batter Tim Seifert is a master of this kind of game.

The middle order of Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman and Michael Bracewell is composed of extremely robust international players. The latter is captain of the team and an extremely powerful spinner too.

Ish Sodhi, Ben Sears, and Jacob Duffy provide a solid bowling lineup, topped by James Neesham's impressive show in both innings.

Pakistan

Any Pakistani squad without Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam will be underwhelming on paper. And that holds especially true for the Pakistani squad in this initial T20I match.

With the big names missing, players such as Usman Khan will get a chance to exhibit both his attacking batsmanship abilities and his skills behind the wickets with the gloves.

Salman Agha will lead the side and is in good touch in all three formats of late. He will be accompanied by vice-captain Shadab Khan, who is unreliable but a game-changer at his best.

Pakistan's strongest asset in this game will certainly be their bowling lineup. Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf both possess experience and all the skills required and will fancy themselves against the New Zealand top order.

Pitch Report

In T20Is, the pitch tends to favor both batters and bowlers, so it’s essential for teams to gauge the conditions right from the start. The seamers might have a slight edge with the new ball, but once we get past the first half, it’s likely to turn into a run-fest. The highest T20I score recorded at Hagley Oval stands at 208 for five runs, achieved by New Zealand.

Toss Prediction

Looking at the last eight T20I matches held in Christchurch, six of them have been won by the teams batting second, so both captains are likely feeling pretty confident about their strategies. If the coin toss goes their way, we expect them to choose to bowl first.

Weather Report

With only a 5% chance of interruptions, it looks like the weather won’t be much of a factor in this match. The temperature is expected to reach a high of 22°C and drop to a low of 13°C.

Head to Head

The last time these two teams faced off was during a T20I series in 2024, when New Zealand made their way to the subcontinent. That match ended in a nail-biting 2-2 draw, with Pakistan clinching the fifth game by just nine runs.

Venue Details

The Christchurch venue can start off a bit green during those multi-day matches, but for this one, we’re anticipating a dry and smooth surface. The par score should be around 200.

Match Prediction

Both teams have some real game-changers in their lineups, but New Zealand's batting lineup seems to have the edge over Pakistan's. While Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf will definitely keep Pakistan competitive, we’re leaning towards the Black Caps to take the win.

We’re backing on a New Zealand victory!

Betting Tips

New Zealand has a solid opportunity to bounce back from the disappointment of their narrow title win in Dubai. They’ve got a strong squad that thrives in home conditions. However, Pakistan is sure to give the hosts a run for their money, especially with their aggressive seamers ready to deliver some standout performances.

Place your bets on a New Zealand victory!

Probable Playing XI

New Zealand Playing XI

Finn Allen, Tim Robinson, Tim Seifert (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Michael Bracewell (c), James Neesham, Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Ben Sears, Jacob Duffy.

Pakistan Playing XI

Usman Khan (wk), Abdul Samad, Salman Agha (c), Irfan Khan, Mohammad Haris, Shadab Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Abbas Afridi, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem.

Top Fantasy picks Dream11 Prediction

New Zealand Key Players

Finn Allen had been finding it tough to be consistent in the home tournament until this game. Allen scored 361 runs in 2024 and was the top run-scorer for New Zealand and is our most preferred candidate for this match.

Daryl Mitchell There will be a significant contribution in the middle order, and the right-handed batsman has been in good touch before this series.

Ben Sears comes into this series after a stunning performance in all formats throughout the domestic season. He has been one of his team's most reliable bowlers and is thus our first choice for the next game.

Pakistan Key Players

Shaheen Afridi was Pakistan's best bowler in the T20i of 2024. He played consistently and is also Pakistan's top wicket-taker in 2024 with 36 wickets, so he is our best bet for the next match.

Shadab Khan is an excellent all-rounder and will score runs as well as take wickets. He is a good option for captaincy.