A swashbuckling innings of 60 runs off 24 balls by Iftikhar went in vain as New Zealand hold their nerves to beat Pakistan by four runs in the third T20I match of the five-match series at Gaddafi Stadium on Monday.
Pakistan needed 15 runs in the last over bowled by James Neesham with Iftikhar at the batting end. He hit Neesham for a six on the first ball and then smashed a four on the third delivery to bring the equation down to five runs in three overs. In a bid to finish the game, Iftikhar tried to send Neesham’s fourth delivery out of the ground but ended up giving a simple catch to Daryl Mitchell.
The last batsman Haris Rauf failed to score any run off the two balls he faced and gave a simple catch to Chad Bowes on the last ball of the innings.
