Pakistan Defeats Afghanistan by 39 Runs in Tri-Series Opener

In the opening match of the tri-nation series, Pakistan secured a comfortable 39-run victory over Afghanistan at Sharjah.

Batting first, Pakistan posted a total of 183 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted overs. Captain Salman Ali Agha led the way with a brisk 53 off 36 balls, while Sahibzada Farhan and Mohammad Nawaz contributed 21 runs each. Fakhre Zaman added 20 runs before being dismissed. Contributions also came from Haris Rauf (15), Saem Ayub (14), and Hasan Nawaz (9).

Chasing 183, Afghanistan struggled to keep up with the required run rate and were bowled out for 143 in 19.5 overs. Captain Rashid Khan was the top scorer for Afghanistan with 39 runs, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz added 38.

Pakistan’s bowling attack was led by Haris Rauf, who picked up four wickets while conceding just 31 runs. Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Nawaz, and Sufiyan Muqeem claimed two wickets each to tighten the screws on the Afghan batting lineup. For Afghanistan, Fareed Malik took two wickets, with Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rashid Khan, and Azmatullah claiming one apiece.

Pakistan’s playing XI included Salman Ali Agha (captain), Sahibzada Farhan, Saem Ayub, Fakhre Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Haris, Shaheen Afridi, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, and Sufiyan Muqeem. Afghanistan fielded Rashid Khan (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Sadiq, Darwish, Karim Janat, Azmatullah, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazal, and Fareed.

This win gives Pakistan a strong start in the tri-series. Historically, the two teams have met five times at Sharjah, with Pakistan winning three and Afghanistan two. Their most recent T20 series at the same venue saw Afghanistan claim a 2-1 victory.