After a rocky start that saw him score ducks in his first two T20I appearances, Pakistan’s young opener Hasan Nawaz soared back into the spotlight by smashing the fastest T20I century for Pakistan against New Zealand in Auckland on Friday, March 21.
Nawaz, one of the fresh faces in Pakistan’s T20I squad for the New Zealand series, faced an uphill battle right from his debut. In the opening match, he fell for a two-ball duck, contributing to his team’s heaviest defeat in T20 history. The second match offered no respite, as he became the sixth player from a full-member nation to record consecutive ducks in his first two T20Is.
However, in the face of adversity, Nawaz transformed his fortunes in the third match with a breathtaking century, leading Pakistan to chase down a formidable target of 205 with ease. He reached his T20I hundred in a mere 44 balls, setting a new record for the fastest century by a Pakistani batter in this format, eclipsing Babar Azam’s previous record of 49 balls established against South Africa in 2021.
Nawaz finished with an impressive 105 runs off just 45 balls, peppering the field with 10 fours and seven sixes at a staggering strike rate of 233.33. He now ranks fourth among Pakistan’s run-scorers after just three T20I innings, trailing only Mukhtar Ahmed (182), Hussain Talat (135), and Haider Ali (127) at this stage of their careers.
Supporting him were fellow opener Mohammad Haris, who scored 41 off 20, and captain Salman Ali Agha with an unbeaten 51 off 31. Together, they orchestrated Pakistan’s remarkable chase, finishing with four overs and nine wickets to spare. This victory marks the fastest 200-plus run chase in T20I history, surpassing South Africa’s previous record from the 2007 T20 World Cup, and stands as the quickest chase of a 200+ target across all T20 formats.
