Fakhar Zaman Hits Rishabh Pant-Esque One-Handed Six

Pakistan batter Fakhar Zaman was at his exceptional best during the ICC World Cup 2023 game against New Zealand. The opening batter set the stage on fire at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore and helped his team win the game by 21 runs and stay alive in the tournament. 

Chasing the mammoth target of 402 runs, Pakistan lost Abdullah Shafique (4) early and it seemed that it would be an easy victory for New Zealand. But Fakhar Zaman made a staggering statement and sent out a loud message that he was there to chase the target. 

Fakhar Zaman took an attack on New Zealand bowlers and smashed them all over the park. He was in the staggering touch as he played some brutal strokes and kept his side in the hunt. With rain around the corner, he made sure that his side was above the DLS score, which ultimately helped Pakistan win by 21 runs. 

Fakhar Zaman smashed a brutal century and was batting an unbeaten 126 runs off 81 balls. He batted with a strike rate of 155.56 and also smashed 8 fours and 11 sixes in his innings. Out of all the sixes that he played, one hit caught the attention of many. 

Fakhar Zaman played a shot like Indian keeper-batter Rishabh Pant. The Pakistan batter smashed a one-handed six. Tim Southee bowled a slower ball to which the batter attempted to slog. His one hand came off but the ball went at deep square for a 65 meter six. 

Here’s the video: 

NZ vs PAK: This is one of the best knocks in ODI cricket – Fakhar Zaman 

Fakhar Zaman opened up about his knock after the game. He said that he enjoyed the innings thoroughly and it’s one of the best innings he has played in his career. Speaking during the post-match presentation, he explained: 

“We were chasing 400 and that was our plan, just to see off the first 4 overs and thankfully it was my day. To be honest, I was lucky a few times but really enjoyed this innings. We know every game is a do or die for us and we have decided to play aggressively and we are playing with that mind so everybody is just trying to score runs. This is one of the best (knocks in ODI cricket) but I will always rank my 193 in South Africa highly, but I really enjoyed this game and New Zealand are a great side, so definitely one of the best. 

“We were also praying that we don’t want any more game to happen (while waiting anxiously in the dressing room during the rain break) because it was already 9 and half hours and we knew that DLS would come into the equation. We wanted to play with that aggressive mindset and we will play aggressively in the next game also.” 

Pakistan are well and truly alive in the tournament. They are currently 5th on the table with 4 wins under their belt. They will next be seen in action when they will take on England on 11th November.