BANGALORE: Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman has bagged multiple records with his quickfire century against New Zealand in the World Cup 2023 clash.
The left-handed batter, who played a match-winning 81-run knock against Bangladesh, scored a sensational century in a daunting 402-run pursuit against New Zealand.
Despite losing his opening partner Abdullah Shafique early, the Fakhar Zaman kept Pakistan in the hunt with clean hitting. He pelted the Blackcaps’ bowlers and brought up his 11th ODI century in just 63 deliveries.
His belligerent knock had powered Pakistan to 160/1 in 21.3 overs, 10 ahead of the par score as per the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern (DLS) method, before the rain intervened.
At the stoppage, Fakhar Zaman was unbeaten on 106 in 69 deliveries, laced up with seven boundaries and nine sixes.
Notably, his 63-ball hundred is the fastest ton by a Pakistan batter in a World Cup game.
Read More: PAK vs NZ: Fakhar Zaman hits a commanding 100 as Pakistan chase 401 against New Zealand
The record of the fastest World Cup century, however, belongs to Australia’s Glenn Maxwell, who conceded just 40 deliveries to reach the milestone against the Netherlands in the ongoing mega event.
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Fakhar’s 63-ball hundred ranks joint-ninth on the list of fastest World Cup centuries with India’s captain Rohit Sharma, who scored a 63-ball century against Afghanistan, which also came in the ongoing edition of the World Cup.
Moreover, Fakhar Zaman has thus far hit nine sixes amid his ongoing knock to go past Imran Nazir’s record of most sixes hit by a Pakistan batter in a World Cup innings.
The right-handed opener smashed eight sixes against Zimbabwe in the 2007 World Cup in West Indies.
Moreover, the Pakistan opener also completed his 5000 runs in international cricket in the same match.
