Pakistan's men’s cricket team celebrated a historic moment on Thursday (April 27) after winning the first ODI of a five-match series against New Zealand by five wickets at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Thanks to opening batter Fakhar Zaman’s exceptional 117 runs from 114 balls, Pakistan chased down the target of 289 runs in 48.3 overs, giving the Babar Azam-led side a 1-0 lead in the series. The team's opening partner, Imam-ul-Haq, contributed 60 runs from 65 balls, while Babar scored 49 runs from 46 balls, and wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan remained unbeaten on 42 from 34 balls.


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The victory marked Pakistan's 500th triumph in ODI matches, making them only the third team to achieve this milestone, after India and Australia. With 594 wins in 978 ODIs played till date, five-time World Cup champions Australia lead the chart, followed by two-time champions India, which has won 539 out of 1029 matches played.


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Despite missing many first-team players, New Zealand posted a fighting total of 288 runs on the board for the loss of seven wickets in the closely-fought encounter. Star all-rounder Daryl Mitchell scored 113 runs from 115 balls, with opening batter Will Young adding 86 runs from 78 balls, including eight fours and two sixes.


Many of New Zealand's first-team players are currently competing in IPL 2023, while skipper Kane Williamson is out due to injury. The match marked the first of the five-match series between Pakistan and New Zealand, with the next game scheduled to take place on April 29. The Pakistan team will be looking to build on their historic victory and continue their winning form in the series.