Pakistan’s rising star, Saim Ayub, made a striking impression in today’s first T20I match against New Zealand in Auckland, smashing an explosive knock by scoring 27 runs in merely 8 balls.
Saim Ayub’s batting performance is even more impressive because he achieved a remarkable strike rate of 337.5. This sets a new record for the highest strike rate by a Pakistani top-order batsman in a T20I, with a minimum of 25 runs.
This achievement surpasses the previous records held by Shahid Afridi, who had a strike rate of 260 in a 39-run innings in just 15 balls against Bangladesh during the 2007 T20 World Cup, and Mohammad Haris, who had a strike rate of 254.5 in his 28-run innings in 11 balls against South Africa in the 2022 T20 World Cup.
His impressive display of batting was unfortunately cut short when he was run out during a crucial moment in the game.
Pakistan was chasing New Zealand’s 226/8 but fell short, getting all out at 180 runs and thus suffered a defeat by 46 runs. From among the eight Kiwi batters who were dismissed, Saim Ayub, took four catches as an outfielder, which is a new record for a Pakistani fielder in a T20I.
Saim’s playing style and international cricket performance have caught the eye of cricketing legends worldwide.
The dynamic batting style of the player, even though he scored only 34 runs in a recent Test match against Australia, caught the attention of ex-cricketers globally. His performance earned him praise from Adam Gilchrist and Michael Vaughan on their local podcast, particularly for Pakistan’s impressive showing.
Vaughan shared his podcast video and he wrote, “Saim Ayub is going to be a superstar.”
Saim Ayub’s blistering, quick-fire innings, during which he hit three sixes including one with a no-look shot on his leg side, was highly impressive. This shot went viral on social media, and netizens praised it the most.
Even ESPN Cricinfo could not hold back and praised his trademark shot.
