Pakistan have revived their hopes for making it to the ICC World Cup 2023 semi-finals after beating New Zealand on Saturday.
Fakhar Zaman stole all the headlines as he smashed an unbeaten 126 knock to help his side win by 21 runs on DLS.
The Green Shirts looked in a very difficult position after their opponents posted a formidable 401 total in 50 overs at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson punished their bowlers with boundaries all around the ground, with the duo contributing 180 in a second-wicket stand. Ravindra scored 108 while Williamson fell just short of completing his century.
However, Pakistan were equally brilliant with the bat as Fakhar and Babar Zaman put together a solid partnership to bring the momentum back.
They were 160-1 in 21.3 overs when it started raining, and they were given a revised target of 342 in 41 overs.
However, four more overs were possible before the play was abandoned, and the 1992 world champions were declared winners by 21 runs on DLS.
What do Pakistan need to do to qualify for the World Cup semi-finals?
The victory has revived hopes that the Babar Azam-led side can qualify for the ICC World Cup 2023 semi-finals.
Losing four matches on the trot put them on the brink of elimination, but they have bounced back with wins against Bangladesh and New Zealand to still be in contention. So, what do they need to do to finish in the top-four?
Well, the best case-scenario for them is to win their last game against England and for Sri Lanka to beat the Kiwis. This way, they will qualify without the Net Run Rate coming into play. But that’s assuming Afghanistan lose their final two matches, which are against Australia and South Africa.
However, both Pakistan and New Zealand will end up with 10 points if the two win their final matches. The Black Caps will then have a better chance as they have a superior NRR at the moment. In such a case, the 1992 champions will need to win their last game with a big margin to improve their NRR and overtake the Kiwis.
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