In a thrilling World Cup encounter marred by rain, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson lauded Pakistan and their dynamic opener Fakhar Zaman as “something special.” Pakistan secured a remarkable 21-run win, keeping their World Cup hopes alive.

New Zealand posted an imposing total of 401-6, led by a brilliant century from their emerging talent, Rachin Ravindra, and a resilient 95 from Williamson, who returned to the side after recovering from an injury.

Facing the prospect of World Cup elimination, Pakistan mounted a scintillating response through power-hitting. Fakhar Zaman’s explosive 126 not out off 81 balls, featuring 11 towering sixes and eight boundaries, marked his 11th ODI century. Captain Babar Azam also contributed significantly with an unbeaten 66 off 63 balls.

At the 25.3-over mark, Pakistan had reached 200-1, chasing a revised target of 342 in 41 overs due to rain. At this juncture, the match was called off, with Pakistan leading by 21 runs on the DLS method.

Kane Williamson acknowledged Pakistan’s extraordinary display, stating,

“We saw something special today from Pakistan.”

He praised Zaman’s aggressive batting style and credited Pakistan for their impressive achievement in the match.

Notably, prior to this encounter, only two teams had scored 400 or more runs in an ODI and lost.

New Zealand, now with eight points in as many games, maintain a strong position to secure a semi-final spot, largely due to their superior net run-rate. They face Sri Lanka in their final group match, while Pakistan take on England, concluding the group stage.

Williamson expressed the team’s focused approach and the need to adapt to the evolving situation in their remaining matches, emphasizing that they couldn’t rely on other teams’ results to progress in the tournament.

The New Zealand captain also expressed his relief at returning to the team after overcoming injuries. He mentioned his recent thumb injury following a knee issue but expressed his happiness at being back on the field and playing with the team.