Pakistan vs New Zealand LIVE Score, T20 World Cup 2021 Updates: Rizwan, Babar open for PAK in 135 chase

Welcome to Sportstar's LIVE coverage of the T20 World Cup 2021 Super 12 match between Pakistan and New Zealand. This is Santadeep Dey, bringing you all the action as it unfolds at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

PAK 7/0 in 1 over: Rizwan is up and running with a single. The Pakistan skipper goes a step further; Santner floats it in from outside the off stump and Babar launches it into the night sky to pick up a one-bounce four.

Babar and Rizwan, both in top form, make their way into the middle. Santner will get things started for the Kiwis.

TARGET: PAK NEEDS 135 TO WIN VS NZ

NZ 134/8 in 20 overs: Almost another dismissal as the ball lands just short of Babar at mid-off. Santner heaves a sigh of relief! He makes some room for himself next and gets four runs. However, Rauf knocks him over off the final ball of the innings to finish with 4/22; his best figures.

NZ 125/7 in 19 overs: A slower ball from Afridi to start off his last over. Clearly going down leg this, but Pakistan reviews anyway. 1/2 reviews remains. Cheeky! This was going for the middle stump but Seifert has somehow paddled it towards the fence. AND GONE! A leading edge lobs down to Hafeez at backward point.

NZ 119/6 in 18 overs: Conway picks out Babar at the cow corner. Just couldn't get enough behind the shot and the Pakistan skipper won't let go of opportunities like this. Another one bites the dust... Pakistan is all over the Kiwis in Sharjah. Hasan takes a tumble at deep mid-wicket but holds onto a terrific catch to send Phillips back into the hut.

NZ 116/4 in 17 overs: Conway and Phillips are both quick between the wickets but for now, they are being restricted to singles. It has been more than three overs since the last boundary was hit. At the present scoring rate, NZ will just manage to cross 130. And finally, Conway drills one down the track to pick up four runs off the last ball.

NZ 107/4 in 16 overs: Hasan starts off with a yorker. Seven come off this over as Phillips and Conway sneak in a deft double off the last delivery.

NZ 100/4 in 15 overs: Rauf's back to inflict further damage. Phillips survives a scare - was looking for a second but Conway sends him back, Phillips slips but regains balance to make it back just in time. The 100 comes up; it has taken a while.

NZ 95/4 in 14 overs: The Zings are up and it is game over for the Black Caps skipper! Williamson punches it right back at the bowler and saunters a few steps down the track in search of a single. Hasan doesn't bat an eye before breaking the timber with a direct hit. Hasan transgresses the line again. Second no ball for him for the game. Phillips finds deep backward square off the free hit.

NZ 90/3 in 13 overs: Three back-to-back boundaries for Conway... first one a misfield by Ali, second one swept towards square leg, third a reverse sweep past short third.

NZ 74/3 in 12 overs: Hafeez slides one in as Williamson attempts the reverse-sweep. The ball thuds into the front pad and Hafeez goes up in appeal. OUT! Given by the umpire but Williamson opts for a review instantly. Massive inside-edge there and he survives! Williamson instantly makes the bowler punish with an excellent flick to the mid-wicket boundary before dancing down the wicket and lofting Hafeez for SIX over long-on.

NZ 63/3 in 11 overs: Shadab beats Williamson's outside edge with a zipping leg-break. Williamson gets off strike with a single. Conway fails to read the leggie completely and slips while attempting a sweep. Pakistan well in control of proceedings here.

NZ 60/3 in 10 overs: Hafeez to Neesham. OUT! The Professor strikes first ball. Neesham attempts for the heave over mid-wicket but finds the fielder in the deep and it's Fakhar again. Excellent start for Hafeez as he keeps the ball flat and tight to Williamson and his new partner, Conway.

NZ 56/2 in 9 overs: Imad to Mitchell. OUT! Holes out to long-on! Doesn't get his timing right this time. Mitchell slogs it off the toe of the bat as Imad slides the ball in. Easy take for Fakhar at the fence and the Kiwis smell some trouble here. Neesham in at 4.

NZ 48/1 in 8 overs: Shadab starts off with a googly that thuds onto Mitchell's pads. There is an appeal but seems like it would have just gone on to miss leg.

NZ 45/1 in 7 overs: Imad keeps things tidy to concede only three off this over.

NZ 42/1 in 6 overs: Off the pad and onto the stumps... Haris Rauf strikes! Guptill's struggles come to an end. Skipper Williamson is the new man at the crease. He whips one off his pads to pick up his first four of the innings.

NZ 36/0 in 5 overs: Hasan Ali has been greeted with a maximum by Mitchell. This was pitched on length and Mitchell lifts it right off the meat of the bat. Pressure straightaway on the Pakistani pacer. Another four, over backward point! And it is a no ball as well; Hasan was a long way over the crease. The Free Hit ball is however a fiery yorker. Nothing much that Mitchell could do about it.

NZ 21/0 in 4 overs: Imad is targeting the short-of-a-length area, not allowing the Kiwis to go down the ground. Rizwan, meanwhile, continues to encourage his teammate from behind the stumps, asking the spinner to bowl fuller. The last one has been banged short and Guptill pounces at the freebie. Rocks back, frees his arms and beats Malik's dive at point.

NZ 15/0 in 3 overs: Mitchell scores the first runs off Afridi - a couple off a wristy push towards mid-wicket. Short and wide, and Mitchell has slapped it with disdain through cover. Four runs.

NZ 7/0 in 2 overs: Spin has been introduced from the other end; Imad Wasim into the attack. Mitchell gets off the mark with a single towards long-on. Guptill picks up the first boundary of the innings. There was a bit of width on offer and Guptill has cut it away past cover.

NZ 0/0 in 1 over: Shaheen Shah Afridi, backed by a raucous crowd, gets the new ball to swing straightaway. Guptill is facing him. A slip is in place for Pakistan's premier pacer. There is an appeal for caught behind off the last ball but the umpire isn't interested. A maiden to start by Afridi!

- The New Zealand players take a knee. Their opponents keep their hands on their hearts to show support.

- Time for the anthems. New Zealand up first.

WHAT THEY SAID

Babar Azam, PAK skipper: We will bowl first. Hopefully we can take early wickets and restrict them to a low score. Dew is also a factor. We will play the same team.

Kane Williamson, NZ captain: It's nice to get started. A nice crowd out there, although they are against us. Unfortunately, Lockie Ferguson has been ruled out of the tournament. Adam Milne joins the squad, pending ICC approval. For today, we're having Tim, Trent, Ish, Santner and Neesham.

Coin flip favours Babar Azam and Co. Pakistan opts to field.

JUST IN: Oh no! Pacer Lockie Ferguson has been ruled out of the T20 WC with a calf tear, confirms NZC. Adam Milne will replace him in the 15-player tournament squad subject to approval by the ICC Technical Committee.

Pakistan fans pose for a photo ahead of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup match against New Zealand at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. - Getty Images

Pakistan will have revenge on its mind for a recent off-field snub when it takes on New Zealand in the T20 World Cup today, looking to build on the historic high of beating arch-rival India in the tournament-opener.

For a lot of Pakistani fans, the team may have already won the World Cup by ending its 29-year-old World Cup jinx against India but the Babar Azam-led team has already shown the hunger for going all the way.

After the 10-wicket rout of India, Pakistan is fully capable of self-destructing against the Black Caps, something that Babar discussed with his players in the dressing room after the win on Sunday night.

"We have not just come here to win against India, we have come here to win the World Cup. Always remember that," Babar said after the match, fully aware that excess celebrations would only disturb focus.

Former Pakistan captains too have cautioned the players against extended celebrations as the team needs to do a lot more to make the semifinals.

Babar's team would be eyeing another big scalp against New Zealand, the team which recently withdrew from a scheduled series against Pakistan after landing there, citing a security threat which, according to the host country, did not exist.

The pullout hampered Pakistan's World Cup preparations which took a further hit with England too withdrawing from the tour.

Babar had hardly minced words in criticising the two sides saying that his country has "always tried to accommodate the interests of the game but others simply don't." Tuesday's game is being perceived by Pakistan's cricket community as an opportunity for the team to extract revenge for the damage that New Zealand caused by going back without playing.

Despite a difficult month, which also saw changes in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) administration, the team seemed like a well-oiled machine against India, not putting a foot wrong in a performance that was stunning to many.

The side's batting, though not yet tested fully, seems to have the firepower with Babar and Mohammad Rizwan doing a sensational job at the top.

With seasoned pros like Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik making the middle order, it is safe to assume that New Zealand's bowlers have a task at hand.

They also have a lot of options in the bowling department, be it pace or spin. Pakistan used seven bowlers against India and veteran Malik wasn't even one of them.

He didn't need to be used as the spin troika of Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan and Hafeez kept things tight.

Shaheen Shah Afridi was sensational with the new ball and New Zealand openers will have to watch out for his fast in-swinging yorkers.

Haris Rauf, another pacer who bowls in the range of 145-150kmph, showed he will be difficult to hit in the death overs.

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New Zealand has not had the best of build-ups to its campaign, having lost to Australia and England in the warm-ups. One of their main concerns is the fitness of skipper Kane Williamson, who is battling with elbow pain for a while now and head coach Gary Stead said the injury had flared up a bit in the game against Australia.

Williamson did not bat against England. The Black Caps have a world-class bowing attack but their batters need to step up.

Despite the many concerns, they have a consistent record in ICC events and one can't rule them out for a place in the final four.

As the Sri Lanka-Bangladesh match suggested, the Sharjah pitch is changing its slow and low nature which was seen in the IPL and one can expect a good batting surface for game on Tuesday evening.

STARS OF THE FIXTURE (OVERALL)

WHERE TO WATCH T20 WORLD CUP 2021 - PAKISTAN VS NEW ZEALAND SUPER 12 LIVE?

The PAK vs NZ match will be aired LIVE on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 1 Hindi, Star Sports 1 Hindi HD, Star Sports 1 Tamil, Star Sports 1 Telugu and Star Sports 1 Kannada. The match will also be live streamed on Hotstar.