Sharjah — Pakistan launched their tri-nation T20 series campaign on a winning note, defeating Afghanistan by 39 runs in front of a packed 16,000 crowd at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday night.
Batting first, skipper Agha Salman anchored the innings with a brilliant unbeaten half-century, scoring 53 off 36 deliveries, decorated with three sixes and as many boundaries. His composed knock, along with a quick-fire 21 off 11 balls from Mohammad Nawaz, lifted Pakistan to a competitive 182 for seven in their 20 overs. Earlier, opener Sahibzada Farhan gave the team an aggressive start, smashing 21 off just 10 balls.
Afghanistan began their chase positively, with opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz striking 38 off 27 balls and sharing a 51-run stand with Sediqullah Atal (23). But the momentum shifted dramatically when Haris Rauf produced a fiery 12th over, dismissing Atal and Karim Janat without conceding a run. Rauf finished with outstanding figures of 4 for 31, while Shaheen Afridi (2-21) and spinners Nawaz (2-23) and Sufiyan Muqeem (2-25) tightened the screws to bowl Afghanistan out for 143 in 19.5 overs.
Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan threatened a late fightback with a blistering 39 off just 16 balls, hammering five sixes and a four, but Rauf’s return spell ended his counterattack and sealed Pakistan’s victory.
With this win, Pakistan will now face hosts United Arab Emirates on Saturday. Each side will play the other twice, with the top two teams advancing to the final scheduled for September 7.
