Pakistan brought out their A-game in the Tri-series opener against Afghanistan at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah. They outplayed Afghanistan in all facets of the game to make a winning start to the tournament. Pakistan not only won the game but they thrashed their opponents as a 39-run win is huge in T20 cricket. Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Pakistan rode on captain Salman Ali Agha’s unbeaten 53 off 36 balls to post 182/7 in 20 overs with crucial contributions from players in and around him.
While defending the score, Pakistan rode on a spectacular bowling performance from Haris Rauf who finished with a 4-wicket haul as his 4/31 alongside a couple of wickets apiece from Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Nawaz, and Sufiyan Muqeem made sure that Afghanistan were skittled out for 143 in 19.5 overs with Gurbaz getting 38 and Rashid Khan getting 39 as main contributors. Pakistan have got 2 points and a healthy Net Run Rate as well after the fixture.
Salman Ali Agha’s Unbeaten 53 propels Pakistan to 182/7.Â
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub came out to bat for Pakistan while Fazalhaq Farooqi had ball in hand for Afghanistan. Farhan made his intentions clear by launching Farooqi down the ground for the maximum and getting a boundary away past the keeper in the first over. Mujeeb Ur Rahman came to bowl the next over as Ayub got into the act and hit a boundary square of the wicket.
Azmatullah Omarzai was greeted with a maximum from Farhan over deep midwicket. But Omarzai had the last laugh as he got rid of Farhan for 21 off 10 balls with a boundary and 2 maximums to his name. Omarzai bowled a full delivery swinging down the leg side, Farhan clipped it straight to Mujeeb Ur Rahman at short fine leg who made no mistake. Fakhar Zaman came out to bat next and got off the mark with a triple.
Mujeeb bowled a decent over keeping things tight. Farooqi came back and gave 4 leg byes to the batting side before Fakhar hit him over mid-on for a boundary. Mohammad Nabi came to bowl the final over of powerplay and Ayub hit him for a boundary through deep square leg. After 6 overs at the end of the powerplay, Pakistan were 54/1 and off to a decent start.
Captain Rashid Khan brought himself on into the attack post the powerplay. He struck straightaway getting rid of Saim Ayub for 14 off 16 balls with 2 fours to his name. Rashid bowled it short outside off-stump, Saim made room and slapped it to deep point where Fareed Malik walked in and took a good catch. Captain Salman Ali Agha came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Fakhar took on Nabi and smashed him over long-off for the maximum. But the experienced campaigner hit back as he got rid of the southpaw for 20 off 17 balls with one four and a maximum to his name.
Nabi bowled a length delivery outside off-stump, Fakhar ran down the track and swiped it to long-on where Ibrahim Zadran took the catch. Hasan Nawaz came out to bat next. Rashid Khan bowled another miserly over. Fareed Ahmad Malik came out to bowl next as Hasan hit him for a boundary via an under edge past the keeper. After 10 overs at the halfway stage of the innings, Pakistan were 76/3 as players took a drinks break.
Mujeeb came back after the break and was slapped for a boundary over backward point by Salman Ali Agha. Salman was then dropped by the keeper Gurbaz off Mujeeb. Malik struck for his side as he got rid of Hasan Nawaz for 9 off 13 balls with a boundary to his name. Malik bowled a good length delivery from around the wicket angled in towards the off-stump, Hasan hung back and lofted it straight and ended up giving Atal a straightforward catch at long-off. Mohammad Nawaz came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Agha jabbed away behind point to hit a boundary off Malik. He hit another boundary off the same bowler through the fine leg region. Salman slog swept Rashid Khan for a maximum over square leg as the 100 came up for Pakistan in 12.3 overs. He repeated the dose next ball as Agha lifted him over fine leg for the maximum. Nabi returned to the attack as Mohammad Nawaz survived a close run out chance.
Omarzai returned and was pummelled by Nawaz down the ground for the maximum. Nawaz then heaved away over deep midwicket for a flat maximum off the same bowler. After 15 overs, Pakistan were 131/4 with 5 overs to go. Mujeeb came back and got hit for a boundary by Nawaz to long-on. But Mujeeb hit back getting rid of Nawaz for 21 off 11 balls with one four and two maximums to his name. Mujeeb bowled a tad fuller as well as quicker on off and middle stump, Nawaz crouched before swishing it to deep midwicket where Rasooli stationed there took a few steps inwards to get underneath it and take the catch. Keeper batter Mohammad Haris came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Salman then launched Malik by slog sweeping over backward square leg for the maximum. Rashid gave away 4 byes to the batting side as keeper Gurbaz missed the ball. Soon, Salman completed his half-century off 33 balls as the captain was leading by example. Farooqi returned and was sliced away for a boundary by Haris off a full toss. Malik soon got rid of Haris for 15 off 13 balls with a boundary to his name.
Fareed took pace off the ball and hurled it on the shorter side of a good length. Haris cleared his front leg and swiped across in an ambitious manner to find Atal at deep midwicket. Faheem Ashraf came out to bat next and got off the mark with a boundary down the ground. The no ball happened due to the ball slipping out and the free hit yielded a maximum. But Faheem took on Malik and lofted him over long-off for the maximum. But Faheem fell off the last ball via a run out as the attempt to take the third run resulted in Fareed being run out for 14 off 5 balls with a boundary and maximum to his name.
The run out was effected at the bowler’s end through Omarzai and then to Rasooli before going to the bowler Malik as well. So, Salman Ali Agha remained unbeaten on 53 off 36 balls with 3 fours and 3 sixes to his name as Pakistan finished with a healthy 182/7 in 20 overs. 15 extras gifted and conceded by Afghanistan.
Fareed Ahmad Malik got a couple of wickets for Afghanistan but was expensive as well as he finished with 2/47 in 4 overs. Mujeeb Ur Rahman bowled well for his 1/22 in 4 overs. Azmatullah Omarzai picked up a wicket but went for 28 runs in 2 overs. Mohammad Nabi chipped in with 1/18 in 3 overs. Rashid Khan bowled well for his 1/26 in 4 overs. Fazalhaq Farooqi went for 31 runs in 3 overs and did not pick up a wicket. The target for Afghanistan was 183 runs to win off 20 overs.
Haris Rauf’s 4-wicket haul skittles Afghanistan out for 143.Â
Chasing 183 for the win, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran came out to open the batting for Afghanistan while Shaheen Afridi had ball in hand for Pakistan. Ibrahim managed to get an outside edge down to the third man fence for a boundary to get himself going. Mohammad Nawaz came onto bowl from the other end and was greeted by a Gurbaz sweep for a boundary. Ibrahim swatted away Afridi to the midwicket fence. Afridi provided Pakistan the breakthrough getting rid of Ibrahim for 9 off 11 balls with 2 fours to his name.
Afridi bowled an attempted yorker taling in towards the leg stump, Ibrahim took his front leg out of the way early. But he could not get his bat down in time as the ball hit his back led before deflecting onto the stumps. Sediqullah Atal came out to bat next. Gurbaz got a reprieve as Afridi put him down off Nawaz at mid-on as a tough chance went begging. Faheem Ashraf came into the attack next. as Gurbaz hit him for back-to-back boundaries to put the pressure on the fielding side.
Haris Rauf came to bowl the final over of powerplay as Gurbaz flicked him away over backward square leg for the maximum. At the end of the powerplay, Afghanistan were 50/1 in 6 overs. Saim Ayub came into the attack post the powerplay as Atal reverse swept him over backward point for the maximum. Nawaz returned as Atal smoked him over deep midwicket and out of the stadium as well. But Nawaz hit back and provided the breakthrough getting rid of Gurbaz for 38 off 27 balls with 3 fours and a maximum to his name.
Nawaz bowled a fuller ball on middle and leg stump, Gurbaz went down on one knee and tried to sweep it away but failed to do so as the ball went and hit the stumps. Darwish Rasooli came out to bat next. Captain Salman Ali Agha came out to bat next and bowled a decent over. Rasooli then hit Ayub for a glorious maximum over wide long-off. Atal survived a run out appeal against him. After 10 overs, Afghanistan were 85/2 chasing 183 for the win and needed a further 98 off 60 balls with 8 wickets in hand.
Sufiyan Muqeem came into the attack next as Rasooli got a lucky boundary away past the stumps and keeper. Rauf returned and provided the breakthrough getting rid of Atal for 23 off 19 balls with 2 sixes to his name. Rauf bowled it full slow and wide of off-stump, Atal looked to go big but he miscued it to deep backward point where Afridi took a simple catch. Karim Janat came out to bat next. He too fell to Rauf for a bronze duck as the bowler had two in the over.
Rauf bowled a full and angling in, Karim flicked it straight to deep backward square leg where Hasan Nawaz completed the catch. Azmatullah Omarzai came out to bat next. Muqeem then got into the act getting rid of Rasooli for 21 off 13 balls with a boundary and maximum to his name. Muqeem bowled a full delivery outside off-stump, Rasooli powered it straight but Muqeem reacted superbly to pluck out a return catch. Veteran Mohammad Nabi came out to bat next and got off the mark.
Mohammad Nawaz got into the wicket-taking act getting rid of Omarzai for 5-ball duck. Nawaz bowled a short delivery wide of off-stump, Omarzai ran down the track and looked to slog it but the ball turned away sharply to go past the bat. Haris took the balls cleanly and whipped off the bails. Captain Rashid Khan walked out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Muqeem got rid of Nabi next for 3 off 6 balls. He bowled a full delivery outside off-stump, Nabi drilled it to long-off where Faheem Ashraf took a superb catch at the fence. Mujeeb Ur Rahman came out to bat next.
He got off the mark as Afghanistan crashed to 99/7 in 15 overs and now needed 84 runs off 30 balls. Rashid Khan finally nailed one as he hit Afridi over deep midwicket for the maximum to bring up the 100 for Afghanistan. Rashid continued to fight and entertain as he hit Muqeem for the maximum and then a boundary before Mujeeb survived a run out scare as well. Rashid then took the attack to Rauf smashing him for back-to-back maximum to give some life to this game. Rashid hit another one off Rauf a few balls later over deep backward point.
But Rauf had the last laugh and final nail in the coffin as he dismissed Rashid for 39 off 16 balls with one four and 5 sixes to his name. Rauf bowled a slower delivery on a length outside off-stump, Rashid is late to pick it and heaved it away down to deep backward square leg where Hasan Nawaz took the catch. Fareed Ahmad Malik came out to bat next. Afridi returned and got rid of Mujeeb for 4 off 9 balls. He bowled it full and angling into the stumps from around the wicket, Mujeeb looked to slog it over deep midwicket but he missed it. The ball goes onto strike the middle stump.
Last man Fazalhaq Farooqi came out to bat next. Haris Rauf put the final exclamation point by getting rid of Malik for 1 off 6 balls. He bowled it slow short of a length delivery on off-stump, Fareed looked to heave it away over midwicket but managed to hit it up in the air. Saim Ayub ran back and completed the catch as Pakistan thrashed Afghanistan by 39 runs. Farooqi remained unbeaten on 1 off 4 balls. Just 4 extras given by Pakistan in the 143 all out of Afghanistan.
All the Pakistan bowlers bowled well. Haris Rauf was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4/31 in 3.5 overs. He was ably supported by Shaheen Afridi who finished with 2/21 in 4 overs. Mohammad Nawaz chipped in with 2/23 in 4 overs. Sufiyan Muqeem bowled well for his 2/25 in 4 overs. Faheem Ashraf’s only over went for 15 runs. Saim Ayub gave 21 runs in 2 overs. Captain Salman Ali Agha bowled an over for 6 runs. So, Pakistan win by 39 runs and captain Salman Ali Agha was awarded Player of the Match for his unbeaten half-century.
What Lies Ahead.Â
So, Pakistan with this dominant victory are high on confidence. They will be back in action later tonight as they will face the hosts United Arab Emirates in Game 2 at Sharjah as all games will be played at one venue. It will be UAE’s first game in this competition.
Can Pakistan continue their winning momentum and show dominance once again? Or will UAE pull off a surprise. Find out later tonight at 8:30 PM IST when the first ball will be bowled.
Also Read:Â UAE T20I Tri-Series 2025: Resurgent Afghanistan Face-Off Against Unpredictable Pakistan In Series Opener.