Pakistan's Fakhar Zaman shone brightly in the second ODI against New Zealand, leading his team to a convincing seven-wicket win at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on Saturday evening. This was Zaman's third consecutive century in the 50-over format, all three of which came against New Zealand this year.

Fakhar Zaman's Unbeaten Century Leads Pakistan to Victory Over New Zealand

Zaman's unbeaten 180 runs off 144 balls included 17 fours and six towering sixes, making it his third-best individual score in this format. In the process, he also crossed the 3,000-run mark in ODI cricket. Chasing a daunting target of 337 runs, Pakistan's opening batsmen, Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq, provided a solid start to the innings, adding 66 runs in 9.4 overs before Imam was dismissed by Matt Henry for 24 off 26 balls.

 But Zaman, who has been in blistering form of late, kept the scoreboard ticking as he formed a crucial 135-run partnership for the second wicket with Babar Azam, who scored 65 off 66 balls, hitting five fours and a six. During the partnership, Babar also notched up his 25th half-century in ODIs.

 Pakistan's chase briefly stumbled when Abdullah Shafique (7 runs, 14 balls) departed with the team still requiring 119 runs off 95 balls. However, Mohammad Rizwan (54* off 41 balls) and Zaman joined forces to steer Pakistan home with 10 balls to spare.

PAK vs NZ 2nd ODI Fakhar Zaman best peroformance

Zaman's unbeaten century and Rizwan's half-century ensured that Pakistan took a 2-0 lead in the five-match ODI series against New Zealand. The two teams will now travel to Karachi for the remaining three ODIs of the series, with the third ODI scheduled to take place at the National Bank Stadium on 3 May.

 New Zealand, who were put into bat, posted a challenging total of 336 for five in their allotted 50 overs. Daryl Mitchell scored his second century in as many games, hitting a brilliant 129 off 119 balls, including eight fours and three sixes. He was well-supported by Chad Bowes (51 off 51 balls), with the duo adding 86 runs for the second wicket. 

Skipper Tom Latham contributed 98 off 97 balls but missed out on his eighth ODI century by just two runs. Pakistan's right-arm fast bowler, Haris Rauf, impressed with figures of 4-78 from his 10 overs, while debutant Ihsanullah couldn't get a wicket, conceding 60 runs from his eight overs.

 In conclusion, Fakhar Zaman's unbeaten century was the highlight of the match as Pakistan registered a resounding victory over New Zealand. The left-hander's recent form and ability to score big runs will undoubtedly be crucial for Pakistan in their upcoming matches.

Ex Cricketer Reaction on Fakhar Zaman's Performance: