Babar-Rizwan Dropped from Pakistan’s T20I Squad for New Zealand Series

Prominent figures in the Pakistan cricket, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, have been dropped from the T20I side of the Pakistan for the New Zealand tour, which is set to kick off on 16 March. Following the early exit from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the team is aiming to start fresh. However, both Babar and Rizwan are in the ODI squad. Salman Ali Agha was appointed as the new captain for the T20I against New Zealand. 

Babar-Rizwan Dropped from Pakistan’s T20I Squad

After a disappointing ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to drop two of their key players, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, from the T20I side. However, both retain their spot in the ODI squad.

Babar Azam has played 128 T20I matches for Pakistan, scoring 4223 runs with an average of 39.33, including three centuries. He is also the second highest run getter in the T20Is, just 8 runs behind Rohit Sharma. On the other hand, Rizwan scored 3414 runs in T20I in 106 matches. Notably, both players also led the Pakistan in the past.

Here are Pakistan’s T20I and ODI squads for the New Zealand tour

T20 squad: Hassan Nawaz, Omair Yousuf, Mohammad Haris Abdul Samad, Salman Ali Agha (c), Irfan Niazi, Khushdil Shah, Shadab Khan Abbas Afridi, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Sufiyaan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Khan.

ODI squad: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Salman Ali Agha, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Akif Javed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Irfan Niazi, Naseem Shah, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir.

About Pakistan tour of New Zealand 2025 

Pakistan tour of New Zealand is set to be played from 16 March to 5 April. The series will feature 5 T20Is and 3 ODIs.