New Zealand thumped Pakistan for the third consecutive time in the ongoing five-match T20I series to seal the deal with two matches to go. In all the matches, Pakistan opted to chase only to falter big time. However, former captain Babar Azam was the only player to stick around and perhaps score fifties in all the matches only to find himself at the wrong side of the result.
He has returned with scores of 57, 66 and 58 in three matches of the series so far taking his tally of fifty-plus scores against New Zealand to eight. With his latest half-century, Babar Azam levelled Virat Kohli's world record of scoring most 50+ scores against a single opponent in T20Is. The latter has scored eight half-centuries against Australia so far in 21 innings while Babar's seven fifties and one century against New Zealand have come in 18 innings.
Babar and Kohli now jointly hold the record of smashing most 50+ scores against an opposition in the shortest format of the game. Perhaps, Babar even has a chance of going past Kohli in this list in the next T20I against New Zealand that will be played on January 19.
Most fifty+ scores against an opponent in T20Is
| Players | Opponent | 50+ scores |
| Virat Kohli | Australia | 8 |
| Babar Azam | New Zealand | 8 |
| David Warner | Sri Lanka | 7 |
| Virat Kohli | West Indies | 6 |
| Mohammad Rizwan | England | 6 |
Virat Kohli features once again in this list having smashed six fifties against the West Indies while Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan has also amassed as many half-centuries against England in the format. David Warner is at the third place in this aspect with seven such scores against Sri Lanka.
