Saim Ayub stole the show with the bat as his impressive half-century helped Pakistan post 200+ and then defended it successfully to make it 2 wins out of 2 for the Men in Green. Saim Ayub looked determined and played with total control of proceedings as his 69 set it up for Pakistan. Opting to bat first, Saim Ayub’s 69 and Hasan Nawaz’s breath-taking 56 powered Pakistan past 200 as they made 207 in 20 overs.
UAE in reply to be fair put up a spirited performance with Asif Khan scoring 77 off 35 balls and players playing in and around him. But it was always going to be a bridge too far as Hasan Ali’s 3-wicket haul and Mohammad Nawaz’s 2-wickets with a miserly economy rate meant Pakistan won this contest by 31 runs and have made it 2 wins out of 2 games. They are almost through to the finals we can say with 2 games left to play for them.
Saim Ayub & Hasan Nawaz’s Sparkling 50s powers Pakistan to 207.
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub came out to open the batting for Pakistan while Junaid Siddique had ball in hand for UAE. Farhan got underway with a streaky boundary off Siddique while he played a pull shot for a boundary through square leg. But Siddique had the last laugh getting rid of Farhan for 8 off 5 balls with 2 boundaries to his name.
Siddique bowled a length delivery outside off-stump and seaming in, Farhan looked to clip it to the leg side but he got an inside edge back onto the off-stump. Fakhar Zaman came out to bat next. Dhruv Parashar had ball in hand from the other end. Ayub welcomed the bowler with a boundary through extra covers. Zaman then hit Siddique for a boundary to deep square leg while Ayub launched him over square leg for the maximum. Ayub was not done there as he got a boundary through third man and launched another maximum flat over midwicket.
Haider Ali came into the attack next and got rid of Fakhar Zaman for 6 off 7 balls with a boundary to his name. Haider bowled full outside off-stump from around the wicket. Fakhar looked to sweep but he only managed an inside edge onto the stumps. Captain Salman Ali Agha came out to bat next and got off the mark. Parashar returned as Ayub took him on by hitting him for two boundaries in 3 balls. Haider bowled a decent over as Pakistan reached 51/2 at the end of the powerplay after 6 overs.
Muhammad Jawadullah came into the attack post the powerplay. Ayub cut him away for a boundary through backward point and pummelled him for the maximum over backward square leg. Muhammad Saghir Khan came into the attack and was greeted with the maximum by Ayub over fine leg. Ayub managed to get a boundary through an outside edge as the southpaw reached his 4th T20I fifty in just 25 balls. Khan got a wicket to his name as he got rid of Salman Ali Agha for 5 off 9 balls.
He bowled a length delivery outside off-stump, Salman looked to defend but the ball kicked off and take the outside edge where Rahul Chopra completed the catch. Hasan Nawaz came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Ayub managed to get a boundary through backward point off Jawadullah. Haider Ali bowled another decent over. At the end of 10 overs at the halfway stage of the innings, Pakistan were 93/3 when players took the Drinks Break.
Parashar started after the break as Hasan Nawaz launched him over deep extra covers for the maximum as the 100 came up for Pakistan in 10.4 overs. Muhammad Saghir Khan returned and got rid of Saim Ayub for 69 off 38 balls with 7 fours and 4 sixes to his name. Fullish delivery angling around the pads, Saim Ayub shuffled across and goes for the flick. There was some sound when the ball was close to the bat and Rahul Chopra went to his right and took the catch. Ayub was disappointed with the decision but had to go as there is no DRS in this series.
Mohammad Nawaz came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Hasan was continuing his merry ways as he got a boundary through the third man region. Jawadullah returned as Hasan climbed onto him and cleared wide long-off for the maximum. Hasan Nawaz was now in the zone as he hit Khan for a boundary and then launched the same bowler for the maximum over long-off. Mohammad Nawaz got into the act as he smashed Parashar over long-off for the maximum.
After 15 overs, Pakistan were 143/4. Haider Ali returned and was smoked for back-to-back maximums to reach his fifty in 24 balls his second T20I fifty. Hasan did not stop there as he hit another one to complete the hat-trick of sixes off Haider Ali. Haider Ali bounced back to get rid of Hasan Nawaz for 56 off 26 balls with 2 fours and 6 sixes to his name. He bowled a short of a length ball around the off-stump, Hasan Nawaz swivelled for a pull but it stays a touch low. It got an under edge and Rahul Chopra took the catch. Keeper batter Mohammad Haris came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Nawaz greeted the returning Siddique with a boundary through covers. Siddique got himself a wicket as he got rid of Mohammad Haris for 1 off 2 balls. Siddique bowled a short ball outside off-stump with the fielder placed at deep third man. Haris got in the zone and went for the upper cut. He broke his bat as well as the ball flew to Jawadullah at deep third man who took it easily. Faheem Ashraf came out to bat next. Nawaz managed to get a boundary off Siddique through long-off region.
Khan returned and got rid of Mohammad Nawaz for 25 off 15 balls with 2 fours and a maximum to his name. He bowled a length delivery around the off-stump. Nawaz swung his bat and the ball went high up in the air. Ethan Carl D’Souza settled in the wide long-on region and took the high catch. He also fell to his right completing the catch and was inches short of the fence. But he took it cleanly. Hasan Ali came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Faheem Ashraf joined in the fun as he smashed Khan for a maximum over long-off and then a boundary through the point region. Hasan Ali joined the party as well launching Jawadullah for a maximum over long-on as the 200 came up for Pakistan in 18.4 overs. Siddique soon got another wicket as he dismissed Hasan Ali for 9 off 6 balls with a maximum to his name. He bowled a short of a length outside off with pace off the ball, Hasan Ali waited and went for the pull shot. He got the timing but not the elevation as the deep midwicket fielder took the catch. Salman Mirza came out to bat next and got off the mark.
Soon, Faheem Ashraf perished for 16 off 10 balls with one four and one six to his name via a run out trying to take a non-existent second run to be on strike. Sufiyan Muqeem came to the crease next. In the final ball of the innings, Mirza got a couple of runs and while going for the third run got himself run out for 3 off 2 balls. 2 runs was completed as Muqeem remained unbeaten on 0 off 0 balls. Pakistan finished with 207 in 20 overs. 9 extras given by the fielding side.
Junaid Siddique picked up 3/49 in 4 overs. Muhammad Saghir Khan chipped in with 3/44 in 4 overs. Haider Ali finished with 2/32 in 4 overs. Dhruv Parashar gave away 34 runs in 4 overs while Muhammad Jawadullah finished with 0/44 in 4 overs. It meant that UAE needed a mammoth 208 to pull off an incredible upset in 20 overs.
Asif Khan’s 77 goes in vain as Pakistan make it 2 wins out of 2.
Chasing 208 for the win, Mohammad Zuhaib Khan came out to open with captain Muhammad Waseem while Salman Mirza had ball in hand for Pakistan. Zuhaib got the first boundary away off the chase under streaky circumstances off Mirza. Hasan Ali had ball in hand from the other end and Waseem the captain got his first boundary over mid-off and then launched Hasan over deep backward point for a maximum.
Mohammad Nawaz came into the attack next and Waseem took him on by hitting him for consecutive boundaries. Salman Mirza changed ends and was greeted with a boundary from Zuhaib Khan before Mirza gifted 5 wides to the batting side. Mohammad Nawaz provided the breakthrough for Pakistan getting rid of Zuhaib Khan for 13 off 14 balls with 2 fours to his name. Nawaz bowled a good length delivery at the leg stump from around the wicket. Zuhaib went to his left and punched it aerially off his back foot. It went flat to covers as Hasan Nawaz took the catch. Ethan D’Souza came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Hasan Ali returned to bowl the final over of powerplay as Waseem smashed him for the maximum straight down the ground as the 50 came up for UAE inside the powerplay. Against the run of play, Pakistan got a run out and dismissed Waseem for 33 off 18 balls with 3 fours and 2 sixes to his name. Waseem got a couple of runs and going for the third run got run out easily way short of his crease. Alishan Sharafu came out to bat next. Hasan then got rid of Ethan D’Souza for 3 off 4 balls.
Hasan bowled a short ball at the leg stump banging it hard on the pitch. D’Souza swivelled to pull it away but connected off the inside half of his gloves to the right of the keeper where Haris took a simple catch. Rahul Chopra came out to bat next as UAE after the end of powerplay were 54/3. Saim Ayub came into the attack post the powerplay and bowled a decent over. Faheem Ashraf came into the attack next. Chopra managed to hit a boundary through covers. Saim Ayub got amongst the wickets as he dismissed Sharafu for 3 off 6 balls.
Ayub bowled a fuller than good length ball at the off-stump, Sharafu came down the track and attempted a hoick over long-on. He didn’t get the required timing and the ball landed in the hands of Farhan at long-on. Asif Khan came out to bat next and got off the mark. Asif got his first boundary away off Ashraf through deep third man. After 10 overs at the halfway stage of the chase, UAE were 75/4 chasing 208 for the win.
Nawaz returned after the break and got rid of Rahul Chopra for 11 off 14 balls with a boundary to his name. Nawaz bowled full on the stumps, Chopra looked to sweep but he ended up top edging it to deep square leg where Muqeem took a simple catch. Dhruv Parashar came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Sufiyan Muqeem was introduced into the attack. He bowled a tight over. Nawaz also bowled a tidy over and finished his spell.
Asif Khan finally broke the shackles by hitting Muqeem for a boundary and then launched him over long-on for the maximum. Parashar joined in the fun as he too launched Muqeem for a maximum over long-on as the 100 came up for UAE in 13.4 overs. Hasan Ali returned and was taken to the cleaners as Asif launched him over deep midwicket for a flat maximum and then hit him for a boundary. Asif then slogged it over wide long-on for the maximum off Hasan Ali.
After 15 overs, UAE were 122/5 and needed 86 off the last 30 balls. The 50-run stand came up between the two players as Muqeem kept things under check. Salman Mirza returned and got rid of Parashar for 15 off 19 balls with a maximum to his name. Mirza bowled it full and wide of off-stump, Parashar looked to smash it over covers but got the outside edge. Haris reacted quickly and dived to his right to take a stunning catch over his shoulder. Muhammad Saghir Khan came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Saghir hit Mirza down the ground for a boundary. Asif soon reached his half-century with a maximum over deep midwicket as he reached his fifty in 25 balls. He celebrated his milestone in style by hitting another maximum off Muqeem over deep midwicket. He also hit Muqeem for another boundary in the same over through extra covers. Asif was not willing to give up as he hit Salman Mirza for a boundary at fine leg and then a maximum down the ground. Saghir joined in the fun as he pulled Mirza over deep square leg for the maximum.
Asif hit Hasan Ali for a boundary through third man region but the match was now as good as over. Hasan got rid of Asif Khan for 77 off 35 balls with 6 fours and 6 sixes to his name as a scintillating knock came to an end. Hasan bowled it short outside off-stump, Asif looked to pull but he top edged it to deep square leg where Sahibzada Farhan ran to his left to dive and take the catch. Haider Ali came out to bat next and got off the mark.
Hasan got his second in the over and third of the match dismissing Saghir Khan for 11 off 7 balls with a boundary and maximum to his name. He bowled it full and angling into the stumps, Saghir swung it straight to long-on where Mohammad Nawaz took the catch. Junaid Siddique came out to bat next and faced two dot balls as the match ended with UAE on 176/8 in 20 overs with Siddique unbeaten on 0 off 2 balls and Haider Ali on 1* off 1 ball. 9 extras given by the fielding side.
Hasan Ali came back well and finished with 3/47 in 4 overs. Mohammad Nawaz bowled really well for his 2/21 in 4 overs. Salman Mirza chipped in with 1/43 in 4 overs while Saim Ayub chipped in with 1/6 in 2 overs. Faheem Ashraf’s 2 overs went for 15 runs while Sufiyan Muqeem finished with 0/44 in 4 overs in a rare off day for him. So, Pakistan win by 31 runs to make it 2 wins out of 2 games and for his splendid innings with the bat and a useful wicket with the ball, Saim Ayub was adjudged Player of the Match.
What Lies Ahead.
The UAE T20 Tri-Series takes a day-off on Sunday and will return to action on Monday 1st September 2025 as Afghanistan will square off against hosts UAE at Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah. Both teams have lost their first game while chasing against Pakistan who have one foot in the door as far as final is concerned. The game is slated to start at 8:30 PM IST.
Which team will come out on top and register their first win in the Tri-Series? Afghanistan looks the more fancied side on paper, but UAE gave a good account of themselves against Pakistan. We shall wait and see how things unfold in this T20I Tri-Series with the action resuming on Monday night.
Also Read: UAE T20I Tri-Series 2025: Pakistan Register An Impressive 39-Run Win Over Afghanistan.