New Zealand made light work of Pakistan in the five-match T20 series winning the assignment 4-1. Even though Tim Seifert was the Player of the Series ending it on a high with an unbeaten 97 off just 38 balls, the pacer Jacob Duffy had a memorable series with as many as 13 wickets in five matches.
New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy equalled the record for the most wickets by a Kiwi pacer in a bilateral T20 series as the hosts made a short work of Pakistan, winning the assignment 4-1. Duffy took as many as 13 wickets in the series, which is the joint most for New Zealand as he equalled leg-spinner Ish Sodhi‘s feat, which he achieved against Australia at home in 2021. Even though Tim Seifert was named the Player of the Series for scoring 249 runs in five matches, including an unbeaten 97 off just 38 balls, Duffy played a massive part in New Zealand’s win.
Duffy, who was Lockie Ferguson’s replacement in the Champions Trophy, didn’t play a single game during the ICC event, but on surfaces which assisted pace and bounce against an inexperienced batting line-up, the right-arm pacer made it count.
Most wickets by a New Zealand bowler in a T20I series
13 – Ish Sodhi (vs Australia, 2021) – home
13 – Jacob Duffy (vs Pakistan, 2025) – home
11 – Mitchell Santner (vs England, 2019) – home
10 – Ajaz Patel (vs Bangladesh, 2021) – away
10 – Tim Southee (vs Pakistan, 2024) – home
With the likes of Trent Boult and Tim Southee not around anymore for the Black Caps, Duffy, Ben Sears, Will O’Rourke and Kyle Jamieson since his return from the injury have done well and taken New Zealand’s fast bowling heritage forward.
Pakistan featured some new faces in the T20 setup. There were a few sparks but New Zealand were just too good and strong in familiar conditions. The two teams will now move their focus towards the ODIs. With Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam among others set to return, Pakistan will have a bit more experience in the ODI side and will hope to challenge the hosts, who are missing a few of their key players due to injuries and IPL commitments.
