NZ vs PAK: Tim Southee scripts history as he becomes first bowler to get 150 T20I wickets

Image Source : GETTY Kane Williamson and Tim Southee vs Pakistan in the 1st T20I game on January 12, 2024

New Zealand veteran Tim Southee created history after taking four wickets against Pakistan in the first T20I match at Auckland's Eden Park on Friday, January 12. Southee became the first-ever cricketer in the world to reach 150 wickets in T20I format to set a memorable milestone.

New Zealand recorded a dominant 46-run win to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series at home with Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell and Southee contributing equally. Southee has been the leading T20I wicket-taker and beat the likes of Shakib Al Hasan and Rashid Khan to 150 T20I wickets.

The 35-year-old right-arm pacer bowled the match-winning spell by taking four wickets for 25 in four overs. Southee first dismissed Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed in his first spell and then returned in the closing stages by taking two wickets in the 18th over.

He dismissed debutant Abbas Afridi to claim his 150th T20I wicket and finished the game with Hardi Rauf's wicket. Southee now has taken 151 wickets in 118 T20I matches at an amazing bowling average of 22.96 and at an economy rate of 8.11 with two five-wicket spells.

Most T20I wickets:

Tim Southee (New Zealand) - 151 wickets in 118 matches
Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh) - 140 wickets in 117 matches
Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) - 130 wickets in 82 matches
Ish Sodhi (New Zealand) - 127 wickets in 106 matches
Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka) - 107 wickets in 84 matches

Meanwhile, chasing a mammoth target of 227 runs, Pakistan kept the game balanced for the majority of the time. The former captain Babar Azam top-scored with 57 runs off just 35 balls but didn't get much support from the other end.