Pakistan reached the final of the Men’s T20 World Cup after a thunderous seven-wicket win over New Zealand in Sydney.
Chasing 153 to win, Pakistani fly-half Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan reached half a century into a top spot of 105 to claim a stunning win.
Shan Masood hit the winning runs with five balls in reserve to send the raging Pakistani fans into an electric SCG.
Daryl Mitchell previously achieved half a century of unbeaten streak as New Zealand rallied from 49-3 to 152-4.
Pakistan will now face either England or India – who meet on Thursday – in Sunday’s final in Melbourne.
It continues a stunning comeback for Pakistan, who were on the brink of elimination after losing to rivals India and Zimbabwe in their opening two tournament matches.
They needed a shock South Africa defeat to the Netherlands to keep their hopes alive, but they are just one game away from a second T20 World Cup triumph.
“The team has performed so well in the last three matches, and they followed that today. I want to thank the fans, it feels like playing at home,” Pakistan captain Babar said.
“We will enjoy this moment, but at the same time, we have to focus on the final.”
Pakistan got off to a poor start in this tournament but now appears to have nearly unstoppable momentum as they seek to repeat their success at the 1992 World Cup at 50 in Australia under manager Imran Khan.
They also got off to a terrible start in this competition, losing their first three group matches. Still, a dramatic comeback – including a semi-final victory against New Zealand – saw them win against England in the final.
There seems to be a similar sense of fate here as they ride the crest of a wave fueled by their loud and passionate support, which once against has gathered in large numbers.
They blew New Zealand away largely thanks to a magnificent start batting from Babar and Rizwan, who struggled for control in this tournament but ultimately fired when it mattered.
A brutal opening assault took them 55-0 after the power play, and when they reached 87-0 at the halfway mark, the Kiwi players looked stunned.
“Babar and I struggled with the pitches, with the new ball and the swing. But we always believed in ourselves and keep fighting,” said Mohammad Rizwan, Player of the Match.
“As soon as we crossed the boundary line, we wanted to face the new ball. We knew the pitch was tricky, we thought 150 was a good total on this pitch but we knew we could face them.”
Babar was eventually fired when he looked to lift Boult for six years but instead beat Mitchell in the long run, but his 53-for-42 balls were higher than he had scored in the previous five rounds of this Cup. world combined.
Two more late wickets, including Rizwan’s for 57 from 43 balls, briefly rattled Pakistan’s nerves, but Masood saw them from beyond the line to claim a comprehensive victory.
“It’s just amazing. The way they’ve come back is like it’s written in the stars,” said BBC Test Match Special commentator Henry Moeran.
“It’s a cliché to say you never know what you’re going to get from Pakistan, but what they showed today was resilience, strength, tenacity, and when it was really important, they put everything in place.”