In a thrilling encounter between Pakistan and New Zealand at Bengaluru in the ICC World Cup 2023, Fakhar Zaman etched his name in history by notching up the fastest century ever seen in this prestigious tournament. With a blistering strike rate of 157.81, Fakhar Zaman achieved this remarkable milestone in just 63 deliveries, setting the cricket world abuzz with his phenomenal performance.

Fakhar Zaman Century in just 63 balls against New Zealand

It has been an amazing innings, and he has given Pakistan the early boost they need." Pakistan faced an uphill battle chasing a colossal target of 402 runs, and their challenge became even more daunting when opener Abdullah Shafique departed after contributing just four runs in nine balls.

Undeterred, Fakhar Zaman held his ground and found a reliable partner in Captain Babar Azam, who proved to be a steadfast support throughout this high-stakes encounter. Babar, too, was inching closer to a half-century mark, maintaining his excellent form in the World Cup. When rain interrupted the game, Pakistan had reached 160/1, still ahead of the DLS score by 10 runs.

Reflecting on his personal achievements, Fakhar Zaman conveyed that he didn't dwell on missing out on a century in a previous World Cup match against Bangladesh, as he recognized the importance of bolstering Pakistan's net run rate. Fakhar played a pivotal role in this match, scoring a brisk 81 runs, which ultimately earned him the well-deserved player-of-the-match accolade. Nonetheless, he fell short of achieving a century due to the team's attempt to wrap up the chase swiftly.

In his post-match comments, the 33-year-old opener revealed, "The way things were going at the time, we were looking to chase it in 28 or 29 overs." Fakhar had missed the first five games of Pakistan's campaign due to a knee injury and a lackluster run of form. He further added, "That's why I was just going after the bowlers. Otherwise, it was simple for me to reach 100 after 50. But our goal was to reach the mark in 29 to 30 overs."