Hasan Nawaz and Mohammad Haris registered the fastest and second fastest T20I centuries for Pakistan in a space of 72 days showcasing their belligerent batting at the international stage.
Hasan's scintillating 44-ball century came just in his third T20I outing at Auckland's Eden Park on 21 March, while wicketkeeper-batter Haris brought up his ton off 45 balls against Bangladesh in the final T20I of the three-match series on 1 June in Lahore.
In the game against New Zealand, both opened the batting and amassed 74 runs off 5.5 overs, the highest-ever Powerplay for Pakistan in T20Is bettering a nine-year record of 73 runs against England in Manchester.
The duo also contributed a combined 300 runs from 150 balls while batting in the top four during the series sweep over Bangladesh.
Hasan has so far faced 118 balls in Pakistan colours making 227 runs with 16 fours and as many maximums. Haris, meanwhile, has racked up 370 runs across 17 T20I outings at a strike rate of 152 hitting 33 fours and 21 sixes. What stands out in these numbers is their prodigious ball-striking ability and record-breaking tons early in their careers.
With the domestic 2024-25 and the home international season coming to an end, it is pertinent to trace the build-up towards Hasan and Haris' spectacular showings with the bat for Pakistan in T20Is.
The 24-year-old, Haris, got off the mark in his T20I career with a straight six off England's Richard Gleeson at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore in September 2022. Nearly three years later, he fittingly brought up his first international century at the scene of his T20I debut.
Haris, who has featured in six ODIs for Pakistan, boasts 16 dismissals behind the stumps in 11 of his 23 outings in white-ball cricket. He enacted five dismissals including one stumping in the recent series against Bangladesh and hammered 179 runs at a staggering strike rate of 201, earning him the player of the series award.
In just his second T20I, Haris was called up to fill in for Fakhar Zaman in a crucial ICC T20 World Cup 2022 match against South Africa at Sydney Cricket Ground. He announced his arrival by belting Kagiso Rabada for consecutive sixes followed by a four for his first runs in the tournament.
The Peshawar-born batter showcased a range of shots in his 11-ball 28 hitting two fours and three sixes to set the tone for a huge total in a must-win match for Pakistan. His 31 and 30 in the following matches against Bangladesh and New Zealand, respectively, also showed glimpses of his tremendous potential.
Haris has featured in 117 T20s scoring 2,860 runs at a strike rate of 147.65 with the help of one century and 15 half-centuries. He made his T20I comeback, after last featuring for Pakistan in the format in April 2023, following a title-winning campaign with Allied Bank Stallions in the Champions T20 Cup and a strong performance in HBL PSL X.
Haris-led Stallions went onto lift the trophy in the T20 tournament, where he contributed 269 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of 151 including three half-centuries.
In HBL PSL X, Haris collected 247 runs with a strike rate of 148 in 10 matches for Peshawar Zalmi including the highest score of 87. His tally of 53 fours and 21 sixes across the two T20 tournaments proved his boundary-hitting capability, striking a boundary every 4.5 balls.
On Sunday night, Haris became the first non-opener and fifth Pakistan batter to register a T20I century marking a turning point in his Pakistan career.
Haris has been a regular feature in the Pakistan Shaheens setup, leading them in the white-ball leg of the Darwin tour in July 2024, Bangladesh 'A' tour of Pakistan in August 2024, Sri Lanka 'A' tour of Pakistan in November 2024 and the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup in July 2023 (50-over) & October 2024 (T20).
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