31 runs ahead of the revised target, Pakistan have been declared winners in their nail biting contest against New Zealand.
New Zealand and Pakistan are on eight points each.
Australia and Afghanistan, both on eight points, are yet to play each other and one of them is bound to get to 10 points, unless their clash is abandoned.
India and South Africa are sitting pretty with 14 and 12 points, respectively.
High scores by Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson helped New Zealand register their highest-ever total in the ICC Cricket World Cup history. Ravindra scored his third century of the 2023 edition while Williamson fell five short of a ton on his comeback from injury as the Kiwis stood up a total of 401 against Pakistan in their eighth league match.
Ravindra and Devon Conway opened the innings with a 68 run-partnership before the latter returned to pavillion off a Hasan Ali delivery. Nevertheless, Williamson – in at one – picked up where Conway had left off and helped punch the Kiwis to almost 250 before finally conceding his wicket. Ravindra was the next to go, but productive cameos by Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Glen Phillips, and Mitchell Santner helped New Zealand to a historic score.
Opener Fakhar Zaman smashed the fastest century by a Pakistan batter in ODI World Cup history during a CWC 2023 match against New Zealand in Bengaluru on Saturday.
The left-hander reached his hundred off 63 balls in the 20th over of Pakistan’s 402-run chase against the Kiwis. His hundred included nine sixes and six fours.
Fakhar broke the record held by Saleem Malik, whose 94-ball century against Sri Lanka in 1987 at Faisalabad was previously the fastest by a Pakistan batter in World Cups.
Fakhar also went past Imran Nazir’s record of most sixes in a World Cup innings by a Pakistan player. Nazir had struck eight sixes during his 121-ball 160 against Zimbabwe. Nazir’s 95-ball hundred against Zimbabwe in 2007 at Kingston is the third fastest World Cup hundred by a Pakistani batter.