New Zealand Triumphs Over Pakistan in Rain-Shortened T20 Thriller

New Zealand clinched a thrilling five-wicket victory against Pakistan in the second T20I in Dunedin, boosting their lead in the series to 2-0. Despite an improved performance from Pakistan, with standout bowling by Haris Rauf and crucial late runs from Shaheen Afridi and Shadab Khan, their efforts fell short.

In a gripping encounter at Dunedin, New Zealand edged out Pakistan with a five-wicket triumph in the second T20I of the series on Tuesday. Despite Pakistan showing resilience and improvement from their initial defeats, New Zealand's strategic play secured them a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

Pakistan struggled to adapt to the Kiwi bowlers early on, save for pivotal contributions from Salman Ali Agha, who topped the score for his team with 46 runs. Supporting acts by Shadab Khan and Shaheen Afridi, bolstering the team's total to 135/9 in the rain-shortened 15-over match, were not enough.

New Zealand's response was swift and decisive. Tim Seifert, earning 'Player of the Tournament' accolades, and Finn Allen set a dynamic pace from the onset, establishing a solid foundation which, despite a mid-order stumble, saw Mitchell Hay navigate the hosts to victory with 11 balls remaining.

(With inputs from agencies.)