Khushdil hopeful for turnaround in remainder of NZ tour

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan suffered one of their one-sided defeats in T20 history, as New Zealand cruised to a dominant nine-wicket victory with nearly 10 overs to spare in Christchurch on Sunday.

The staggering loss marked the Kiwis’ third most commanding win at home, leaving Pakistan reeling and searching for answers. Despite the crushing setback, Khushdil remains hopeful for a turnaround in the remainder of the series.

“We struggled to put up a fight early on as the ball was swinging all over. Along with Salman Ali Agha, I tried to steady the innings, but New Zealand applied relentless pressure and kept taking wickets,” Khushdil admitted.

The opening six overs were nothing short of a nightmare for Pakistan, as they slumped to 14 for 4 -- their lowest-ever Power Play score in T20Is. Khushdil’s gritty 32 off 30 balls was the only silver lining in an otherwise disastrous start to the tour.

“Losing the toss on such a challenging wicket where the ball was seaming made things difficult. We had planned to take the game deep and post around 140, but their bowlers executed their plans brilliantly,” he explained.

The left-hander also pointed out Pakistan’s inexperience as a key factor behind the lackluster performance. “We had three debutants in the squad and the lack of experience at the top cost us the most.”

However, he remains optimistic about the team’s ability to bounce back. “There are still four matches left in the series. The team must have realised their mistakes, and hopefully, we will put up a much better performance in the remaining games.”

Khushdil backed the fresh faces in the squad, expressing confidence in their ability to learn from this harsh experience. “These are hardworking and quick learners. They’ll be in a much better frame of mind for the upcoming matches.”

He also defended the bowling unit, stating that the lack of a competitive total made their job nearly impossible. “When there’s nothing to defend, even the best bowlers struggle. They bowled well early on but couldn’t sustain the pressure.”

On a personal note, Khushdil reflected on the challenges he has faced in Pakistan’s batting lineup. “I often find myself in tough situations -- either coming in too early when survival is key or too late when the game is nearly out of reach but my focus always remains on playing for the team, not for personal milestones.”