Haris lights up Lahore with a record-breaking finish
Mohammad Haris didn’t just score a maiden T20I hundred — he flipped the script on what Pakistan’s middle order can look like. On June 1, 2025, in Lahore, the wicketkeeper-batter blazed an unbeaten 107 off 46 balls to close out a seven-wicket win and a 3-0 clean sweep over Bangladesh. The strike rate — 232.60 — jumps off the page. The milestones stack up too: second-fastest T20I century by a Pakistani, and the first by a Pakistan batter who didn’t open the innings.
The innings had clear gears. Haris reached fifty off 25 balls in the 10th over, then pressed turbo. Over the next 19 balls he faced, he launched three sixes and three fours, racing to triple figures by his 45th delivery. The boundary count told its own story — eight fours and seven sixes — but it was the control of tempo that stood out. He picked lengths early, punished anything short, and didn’t overplay the slog. When Bangladesh pulled the pace back, he opened the face and went over cover; when they missed yorkers, he stayed deep and hit straight.
Pakistan’s chase felt assured once Haris took charge. The target never looked out of reach, and the finish came with time to spare. It capped a series where their batters were ruthless and clear about roles. Twice in three games, Pakistan breezed past 200 — the first time they’ve done that twice in a T20I series since 2018. That’s not a footnote; that’s a statement.
For Haris, this was the night potential hardened into proof. He has been talked about as an impact player: quick feet, clean arc, no fear of going aerial early. In Lahore, those traits meshed with improved shot selection. He didn’t swing at everything. He chose his moments, and once he settled, Bangladesh’s plan unraveled fast.
What made the knock different from most Pakistan hundreds was where he batted from. Openers grab the headlines in this format because they get the most balls. Haris did it from the middle, where the asks are trickier — set the tone if there’s an early wicket, then finish strong. He did both.
The list he joined is an elite one in Pakistan cricket: Babar Azam (three T20I hundreds), Mohammad Rizwan, Ahmed Shehzad, Hasan Nawaz — and now Haris. Only Hasan’s 44-ball blast against New Zealand earlier this March was faster than this 46-ball hundred. That context matters. It shows there’s now a cluster of Pakistan batters capable of clearing 100 at speed, and not just on flat nights.
Haris walked away with Player of the Series too. Across the three games, he stacked up 167 runs at a strike rate of 201.12, with scores of 41, 31, and 107*. That consistency at high tempo is exactly what modern T20 teams crave. The rankings reacted fast: he surged 210 places to number 30 in the ICC Men’s T20I batting charts. Hasan Nawaz, the series’ second-highest run-scorer with 121 runs at 198.36, climbed 57 spots to equal 45th.
Bangladesh had few answers. Their pace bowlers tried slower balls and wide lines; their spinners dragged length back. Haris wasn’t locked into one zone. He went with the angle to midwicket when pace was on, and when pace was off, he used the crease and hit against the spin. The more they searched for dots, the more the gaps opened up.
- Second-fastest T20I hundred by a Pakistani (46 balls), behind Hasan Nawaz’s 44-ball effort in March 2025.
- First T20I century by a Pakistan non-opener.
- Seventh T20I hundred by a Pakistan batter.
- Player of the Series: 167 runs at a 201.12 strike rate (41, 31, 107*).
- Pakistan crossed 200 twice in a T20I series for the first time since 2018.
- ICC rankings: Haris up 210 places to No. 30; Hasan Nawaz up 57 to equal No. 45.
Strip away the numbers and the eye test still holds up. The timing was crisp, the bat swing was compact, and the balance at contact was steady. There wasn’t much premeditation; when Bangladesh shifted plans mid-over, Haris reset quickly. That adaptability, more than the raw power, carried the innings through.
This was also a blueprint game for Pakistan’s batting. They’ve been accused of playing safe through the middle overs in the past. Here, they didn’t let the rate drift. The middle phase stayed busy — drop-and-run singles, pressure on fielders, and selective boundary shots — so the finish didn’t need miracles. It looked planned rather than forced.
Hasan Nawaz’s presence helped. His series tally (121 at close to 200 strike rate) kept Pakistan in the fast lane even when wickets fell at the other end. He and Haris offer similar aggression but hit different zones, which complicates match-ups for opponents. If Pakistan keep both in the XI, captains will think twice about bowling patterns they’ve used for years against their top order.
For Bangladesh, the series exposed familiar gaps. The new-ball threat didn’t carry into the middle overs, and the death overs missed consistent yorkers. When the yorker didn’t land, the miss was often in the slot. That’s fatal in Lahore, especially against batters who get low and hit the full length back over the bowler. The fielding slipped under pressure too — a couple of half-chances not taken, angles misread on the rope. In tight chases, those 10–15 runs decide whether the last two overs matter.
Context matters for Pakistan as well. Home wins set tone, but the bigger goal is a repeatable method against better bowling in different conditions. This series suggested a shift: more intent in the powerplay, less anchoring for its own sake, and a finishing plan that doesn’t depend on one batter. If the selection group leans into that, Haris can float — at No. 3 if there’s an early wicket, or held back to hammer the last seven overs.
The wicketkeeping question will keep coming up. Rizwan is a lock in most XIs and brings stability up top. Haris, also a keeper, offers flexibility and raw pace with the bat. Pakistan could run both and share the gloves across formats or series. It’s a nice problem. Good teams embrace redundancy in roles; it frees them to chase match-ups and conditions.
Haris’s ranking jump to No. 30 tells you how quickly T20 reputation can move. Perform across just one short series and the algorithm responds. More importantly, it means opponents will plan for him now. Expect early bouncers, fuller defensive fields straight, and spinners shaping it away from his hitting arc. The next test is how he answers when bowlers deny his favorite zones.
Zoom out and the series paints a clear picture of Pakistan’s T20 curve. Between Haris, Hasan Nawaz, and the senior core, they’ve added the power to keep up with the format’s fastest teams. The trick is to keep the tempo without losing shape when pitches grip or when early wickets fall. Lahore was a start — confident, loud, and clinical.
June nights in this city have seen their share of fireworks, but this one will be remembered for a young batter breaking an old pattern. Non-openers don’t usually do this for Pakistan. Haris did, and he did it with style and control. A seven-wicket win, a clean sweep, a bag of records, and a middle-order role that suddenly looks turbocharged — that’s a lot to pack into 46 balls.
What the sweep signals for both teams
For Pakistan, two 200-plus totals in three games suggest a mindset change as much as form. They didn’t settle for par. Power hitters took the lead, anchors adapted, and the lower middle order had license. If they keep that approach on tracks that turn or seams, it becomes a habit, not a home comfort.
For Bangladesh, this is the kind of tour that forces a reset. They need tighter middle-overs control, clearer plans for the last five, and more variety at the top — even within the same bowler’s spell. It’s not about chasing 150 km/h. It’s about disguising pace, nailing lengths, and giving batters the impression they’re never getting the same ball twice. The talent is there; the execution in Lahore wasn’t.
Pakistan’s staff will look at this sweep and see more than a scoreline. Haris’s series strike rate over 200 isn’t a hot streak if it comes with smart decision-making. Hasan Nawaz’s rapid rise in the rankings backs that up. Blend that with the experience of the senior batters, and you get a unit that can score at will without gambling every ball.
The calendar gets busy from here, and the sample size will grow. For now, the facts hold firm: a 3-0 sweep at home, a breakout century that reset a few records, and a batting group that looks built for modern T20. Lahore got the show, and Pakistan got the template.
