Fakhar Zaman's ODI brilliance: Unraveling the record-breaking spree

JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL

Fakhar Zaman's sensational run of form persisted as he hammered yet another century, steering Pakistan to a seven-wicket triumph against New Zealand in the second One-day international (ODI) on Saturday at Pindi Cricket Stadium.

The left-handed opener scored a remarkable unbeaten 180 off 144 balls, marking his third consecutive ODI hundred and tenth overall.

This impressive feat came on the heels of his 117-run inning in the opening match and 101 against the same opponents in January. Zaman's incredible innings enabled Pakistan to chase down a challenging target of 337 runs with 48.2 overs.

Fakhar Zaman's exceptional form and impressive performances has broken several records and achieved some outstanding statistics in ODI cricket.

In ODIs chasing 300+ targets, Pakistani opener boasts an average of 83.62.

Only Saeed Anwar has more ODI centuries as a Pakistani opening batter than Zaman, with 20 in 220 innings compared to Zaman's 10 in 67 innings.

The hard-hitting opener also joined an exclusive group of batters to score three consecutive ODI hundreds. He is the 12th batter worldwide and the fourth Pakistani to achieve this, alongside Zaheer Abbas, Saeed Anwar, and Babar Azam (twice).

The 33-year-old is now also part of an elite list of ODI openers with 3,000+ runs, a 45+ average, and a 90+ strike rate. The list also includes Rohit Sharma (India), David Warner (Australia), Quinton de Kock (South Africa), and Shane Watson (Australia).

Zaman holds the unique distinction of being the only batter with multiple 175-plus scores in ODI chases, including his 193 against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2021.

The Pakistan opener also broke multiple records of his skipper, Babar, during his blistering knock on Saturday. He became the fastest Asian batter to 3,000 runs and 10 centuries in ODI history after achieving both feats in 67 innings. The record was previously held Babar, who took 68 innings to achieve both milestones.

This record-breaking spree highlights Zaman's incredible impact on Pakistan's batting line-up and his ability to perform under pressure.

As the series continues, New Zealand will need to devise new strategies to counter Zaman's remarkable form and regain momentum in the upcoming matches.