Cricholic
Haris Rauf produced a stunning four-wicket spell to guide Pakistan to a dominant 39-run victory over Afghanistan in the opening clash of the T20I tri-series in Sharjah. Backed by skipper Salman Agha’s unbeaten fifty, Pakistan overcame early setbacks with both bat and ball to begin their campaign on a winning note.
🔥Salman Agha rescues Pakistan after early stumbles
Pakistan’s innings began with intent as Sahibzada Farhan struck a couple of sixes inside the powerplay. But his early dismissal by Azmatullah Omarzai slowed the momentum. By the end of the first six overs, Pakistan reached 54, but Afghanistan fought back strongly.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman bowled with remarkable control on his comeback, stifling the scoring rate. Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi then struck in back-to-back overs to leave Pakistan in trouble at 76/3 by the halfway mark. When Hasan Nawaz miscued one, Pakistan slipped further to 83/4.
It was at this point that skipper Salman Agha played a captain’s knock. He counterattacked with back-to-back boundaries against Fareed Ahmad and followed it up with consecutive sixes off Rashid Khan. His composure and intent turned the innings around. Mohammad Nawaz joined in with a brisk cameo of his own before Mujeeb struck again. Despite the setbacks, Agha’s unbeaten 53 off 32 balls anchored Pakistan to 182/7 in their 20 overs.
💥 Haris Rauf leads Pakistan’s bowling charge
Chasing 183, Afghanistan were rocked early when Shaheen Afridi produced a trademark inswinging yorker to castle Ibrahim Zadran. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, however, countered with back-to-back boundaries against Faheem Ashraf and a six to push Afghanistan past 50 by the end of the powerplay. Sediqullah Atal too cleared the ropes twice, keeping the scoreboard moving.
At 85/2 after 10 overs, Afghanistan looked in control of the chase. But Haris Rauf changed the game completely. Persisting with clever offcutters, he dismissed Atal with a mistimed shot and removed Karim Janat in the same over. Soon after, Sufiyan Muqeem added to the damage with a sharp reflex catch off his own bowling.
⚡ Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf seal the game
The collapse continued as Omarzai and Nabi departed in successive overs. From a strong 93/2, Afghanistan crumbled to 97/7 in no time — losing five wickets for the addition of just four runs.
Haris Rauf’s fiery spell of 4/31 ripped through Afghanistan’s middle order, while Shaheen Afridi backed him with superb figures of 2/21. The two spearheaded Pakistan’s attack and ensured there was no way back for Afghanistan.
🚀 Rashid Khan’s late fireworks not enough
The only resistance came from Rashid Khan, who thrilled the crowd with a blistering 39 off just 17 balls. His five towering sixes, including three in a single over from Rauf, briefly entertained the Sharjah fans. However, with wickets tumbling at the other end, his cameo only reduced the margin of defeat. Afghanistan were eventually bowled out for 143 in 19.5 overs, falling short by 39 runs.
📊 Match Scorecard
🏏 Pakistan Innings – 182/7 (20 overs)
- Salman Agha ⭐ 53* (32)
- Mohammad Nawaz 💥 31 (17)
- Sahibzada Farhan ⚡ 21 (12)
- Fareed Ahmad 🎯 2/47
- Mujeeb Ur Rahman 🔒 2/28
🏏 Afghanistan Innings – 143 (19.5 overs)
- Rashid Khan 🚀 39 (17)
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz 🔥 27 (19)
- Sediqullah Atal ⚡ 23 (20)
- Haris Rauf 🔥 4/31
- Shaheen Afridi 💎 2/21
- Sufiyan Muqeem 👐 1/19
Result: ✅ Pakistan won by 39 runs
✅ What’s Next for Pakistan?
With a comfortable win in their opening game, Pakistan will face hosts UAE in less than 24 hours at the same venue. Another victory could secure their spot in the tri-series final, giving them valuable momentum ahead of bigger challenges.
