The fifth and final match of the T20I series between New Zealand (NZ) and Pakistan (PAK) will take place on Wednesday, March 26, at Sky Stadium in Wellington

Having already clinched the series, New Zealand will face Pakistan in the fifth and final T20I in Wellington on Wednesday. In a clash of underdogs and newly formed teams, the Blackcaps comfortably defeated Salman Aagha's new Pakistani brigade 3-1, thus already clinching the series.

Thanks to their home advantage, New Zealand achieved impressive totals: Tim Seifert (152 runs) and Finn Allen (117 runs) are among the top three run-scorers in the series. Mark Chapman is second with 119 runs. Jacob Duffy was the best bowler, taking eleven wickets and taking more T20I wickets against Pakistan than anyone else combined – and doing so at the best strike rate.

Aside from Hasan Nawaz's spectacular 105-run victory in Auckland, the visitors left much to be desired. Salman Ali Aagha was their highest scorer of the series with 116 runs, but others struggled to get going. Haris Rauf was their standout bowler, picking up eight wickets in three matches. However, experienced players like Shaheen Afridi and Shadab Khan were brutally beaten, continuing Pakistan's post-Babar and Rizwan T20I series horror show.

With pride at stake, however, Pakistan will be hoping for a consolation victory, while New Zealand will be looking to seal the series with an impressive 4-1 victory.

Match Preview

New Zealand

It never looked like the Kiwis would be without their core team. Tim Seifert will open the innings alongside Finn Allen. Seifert is the tournament's leading run-scorer with 152 runs and a strike rate of 185. He will be the batsman to watch. On the other hand, Allen scored a half-century off 20 balls in the last match. His strike rate is 208. Mark Chapman will start at third. Chapman is the second-highest run-scorer with 119 runs and a strike rate of 180.

Middle-order players Daryl Mitchell, James Nisham, and Mitchell Hay will play. New Zealand's middle order did not get much opportunity, as their top order performed well. Mitchell has scored 60 runs at a strike rate of 125 in four matches. Neesham hasn't scored any runs with his bat, yet has picked up three wickets in three matches. If the top order of New Zealand falters, then the Pakistani bowling attack poses a challenging proposition for the middle order of New Zealand to contend with.

Jacob Duffy will spearhead the bowling attack with Ish Sodhi, Zakary Foulkes, and Kyle Jamieson. Duffy is the top wicket-taker of the tournament with 11 wickets at a rate of eight. He is the bowler to watch. Sodhi has five wickets at an average of 17, and Foulkes and Jamieson have seven wickets together.

Pakistan

Nobody would have believed that Pakistan, having scored more than 200 runs, could be bowled out for 105 in the third match. Mohammad Haris and Hasan Nawaz opened the innings. Haris played three matches and scored 52 runs. Hasan Nawaz played 105 runs in the third match in a scintillating manner. In the next three matches, however, he played just one run. Salman Agha will bat at the third position. He is Pakistan's top scorer with 116 runs in four matches.

Shadab Khan will play in the middle alongside Khushdil Shah and Abdul Samad. Khan has been unconvincing with the bat or the bowler. He made 30 runs with the bat and took just a single wicket from four games. The same is the case with Khushdil Shah, who made 40 runs with the bat and a wicket with the ball. Samad made 44 runs in the previous match.

Haris Rauf will be the captain of the bowling department along with Shaheen Afridi and Abrar Ahmed. Rauf is Pakistan's top wicket-taker with eight wickets at an average of less than 10. He will be the bowler to watch out for. Ahmed has five wickets, two of which came in the previous match. Afridi, however, has two wickets in four matches, which is a big worry for the visitors. Perhaps he can recover from his failure in the previous match.

Pitch Report

The pitch at Sky Stadium is typically favorable for batting. In fact, over 400 runs were scored in the last match played here. While the seam bowlers might find some assistance early on, as the ball ages, batting will likely become easier and more rewarding.

Toss Prediction

In the 22 matches played here, teams batting second have come out on top twelve times. The average score for the first innings is 153, with the highest reaching 219. If a team wins the coin toss, they should definitely consider bowling first.

Weather Report

On match day, Wellington is expected to enjoy sunny weather, with only a slight 5% chance of rain. Temperatures are likely to hit around 20 degrees Celsius.

Head to Head

The two teams have faced off in 48 matches so far, with Pakistan holding a slight edge at 24 wins compared to New Zealand's 22. There have also been two matches that ended in a draw.

Venue Details

The match is set for March 26, kicking off at 11:45 a.m. at Sky Stadium in Wellington. This venue can hold up to 37,000 fans and has seen 31 One Day Internationals and 22 T20 Internationals. Thanks to its unique shape and shiny silver exterior, it’s affectionately nicknamed "The Cake Tin."

Match Prediction

New Zealand has dominated Pakistan in their last three encounters. The top order is firing on all cylinders, with all three players boasting strike rates over 180 and each surpassing 100 runs. Jacob Duffy poses a significant threat to Pakistan, having taken 18 wickets in his last eight T20 matches. Following their Champions Trophy struggles, Pakistan is not feeling too confident.

We’re leaning towards a New Zealand win against Pakistan.

Betting Tips

New Zealand has maintained a steady performance in this series, and we anticipate they'll keep up the good work. On the other hand, Pakistan has had a tough time during this tour and may struggle to bounce back. The win percentage between New Zealand and Pakistan stands at an impressive 78%—that's quite a significant advantage!

Bet on New Zealand.

Probable Playing XI

New Zealand Playing XI

Tim Seifert, Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Mitch Hay (wk), Michael Bracewell (c), Zakary Foulkes, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy, Will O'Rourke.

Pakistan Playing XI

Mohammad Haris (wk), Hassan Nawaz, Salman Ali Agha (c), Usman Khan, Shadab Khan, Khushdil Shah, Abdul Samad, Mohammad Ali, Haris Rauf, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed.

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New Zealand Key Players

Tim Seifert is New Zealand's top run-scorer in the series with 152 runs from four innings. In the last match, he once again fell short of the half-century mark, scoring 44 runs before getting out.

Jacob Duffy was again New Zealand's top wicket-taker, picking up four wickets in four overs at an economy rate of 5.00. He is New Zealand's top bowler with eleven wickets from four innings.

Finn Allen New Zealand's leading batter has smashed a staggering 117 runs in the past four games and will hope to finish the series on a high.

Pakistan Key Players

Agha Salman The Pakistan captain has plundered 116 runs in his previous four matches and will hope to carry his exceptional form to this game as well.

Haris Rauf has been Pakistan's most reliable bowler in this series and was the best bowler in the previous match, scalping three wickets in four overs at an economy rate of 6.75. He has claimed eight wickets in total till date and has a superb bowling average of 9.50, making him the brightest hope against New Zealand.

Hasan Nawaz has made 106 runs in the previous four matches and will be eager to carry on his excellent form in this game.