Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha acknowledged his team’s improvement but stressed the need for better powerplay performances after their five-wicket defeat against New Zealand in the second T20I at University Oval on Tuesday.

Speaking at the post-match conference, Agha admitted Pakistan showed progress compared to the previous game but identified key areas needing refinement.

“It was freezing. It was a good game compared to the last one. We batted better, and our fielding was outstanding. Bowling in patches was good, but we need to understand the different bounce here,” Agha said.

“After the powerplay, we bowled well, and Haris [Rauf] bowled well. However, we need to improve in the powerplay as a bowling unit and also as a batting unit,” he added.

Haris Rauf, who had a 2/20 spell in the match, defended the young team’s effort at the post-match press conference.

“The effort was there, but the result was not in our favor. We were a bit unlucky,” said Rauf.

Pakistan, who lost the series opener by nine wickets, struggled again in Dunedin, failing to defend 135 runs in a rain-affected match reduced to 15 overs per side.

New Zealand’s chase started explosively, with openers Tim Seifert and Finn Allen adding 66 runs for the first wicket. Seifert led the charge with a 22-ball 45, including four sixes off Shaheen Afridi in one over.

Allen’s aggressive 38 off 16 balls kept New Zealand ahead before Michael Bracewell and Hay guided New Zealand home with 11 balls to spare.

Pakistan’s batting faltered again after losing early wickets. Agha and Irfan Khan attempted to rebuild with a 31-run stand, but Ish Sodhi struck twice in the seventh over, removing Irfan (11) and Khushdil (2) to leave Pakistan at 52-4.

Agha’s 46 off 28 balls and Shadab Khan’s 24 provided resistance, but their dismissals stalled Pakistan’s momentum.

A late 22-run cameo from Shaheen Afridi helped push Pakistan to 135/9, which proved insufficient against a dominant New Zealand side.