Pakistan clinch victory over Afghanistan in tri-nation series opener

Pakistan secured victory in the opening match of the tri-nation T20 series in the United Arab Emirates, defeating Afghanistan by 39 runs on Friday night in Sharjah.

Pakistan opted to bat first after winning the toss and posted 182 runs for 7 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Mohammad Nawaz contributed a quick 21 off 11 balls, while Agha top-scored with an unbeaten 53 off 36 deliveries. Fakhar Zaman and Saif Ayub attempted to form a partnership but were soon halted by effective Afghan spin bowling. Farid Ahmad was the most successful bowler for Afghanistan, claiming 2 wickets for 47 runs.

Chasing a target of 183, Afghanistan got off to a solid start. Rashid Khan played a fiery knock, scoring 39 runs off 16 balls, but the rest of the batting line-up struggled. Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz made 38 runs off 27 balls before being dismissed.

Nawaz and Haris Rauf then tore through Afghanistan's middle order, leading to a dramatic collapse. Afghanistan’s innings ended at 143 for 9.

Haris Rauf was the standout bowler for Pakistan, taking 4 wickets for 31 runs in 3.5 overs. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Mukim, and Mohammad Nawaz each picked up two wickets.