Pakistan made a winning start in the T20I tri-series 2025 at Sharjah by beating Afghanistan by 39 runs. Skipper Salman Agha’s unbeaten fifty and Haris Rauf’s four-wicket haul proved decisive in Pakistan’s commanding performance.
Sahibzada Farhan gave Pakistan a quick start with two sixes before Azmatullah Omarzai removed him. Pakistan reached 54 in the powerplay, but Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s miserly spell restricted the scoring rate. Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi then picked wickets in consecutive overs to put Pakistan under pressure.
At the halfway mark, Pakistan were 76/3 and soon lost Hasan Nawaz as well. From 83/4, Salman Agha took charge with a composed yet aggressive knock. He struck two boundaries off Fareed Ahmad and then hit Rashid Khan for back-to-back sixes. Mohammad Nawaz followed up with two sixes of his own as Pakistan staged a recovery. Though Mujeeb dismissed Nawaz, late cameos lifted Pakistan to 182/7. Salman Agha remained unbeaten on 53, anchoring the innings.
Haris Rauf’s Double Strike Shifts Momentum
Shaheen Afridi delivered early with a trademark yorker to dismiss Ibrahim Zadran. Afghanistan responded positively as Rahmanullah Gurbaz hit consecutive fours off Faheem Ashraf. A six at the end of the powerplay pushed their total past 50. Sediqullah Atal struck two sixes and, with Gurbaz, guided Afghanistan to 85/2 at the halfway stage.
The game turned dramatically when Haris Rauf struck twice in one over. Atal mistimed an offcutter and Karim Janat fell to a sharp catch at deep backward square. Soon after, Sufiyan Muqeem pulled off a brilliant return catch to dismiss another batter, leaving Afghanistan under pressure.
Rashid Khan’s Late Heroics Not Enough
Pakistan kept attacking as Omarzai and Nabi departed in successive overs. Afghanistan collapsed to 97/7 after losing five wickets for just four runs. Rashid Khan provided entertainment by smashing five sixes, including three in one over from Rauf. However, his cameo only reduced the margin of defeat as Afghanistan were bowled out for 143.
With this win, Pakistan made a strong opening statement in the T20I tri-series 2025. They will now face hosts UAE at the same venue in less than 24 hours.
Brief scores: Pakistan 182/7 in 20 overs (Salman Agha 53*; Fareed Ahmad 2/47) beat Afghanistan 143 in 19.5 overs (Rashid Khan 39; Haris Rauf 4/31, Shaheen Afridi 2/21) by 39 runs.
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