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Pakistan defeat Afghanistan by 39 runs in Sharjah tri-series opener as Salman Agha scores unbeaten half-century and Haris Rauf takes four wickets.
Haris Rauf picked four wickets against Pakistan (Picture credit: AFP)
Captain Salman Agha scored an unbeaten fifty and pacer Haris Rauf took four wickets to help Pakistan beat Afghanistan by 39 runs in the tri-series opener in Sharjah on Friday.
Agha scored 53 not out off 36 balls, including three sixes and three boundaries, lifting Pakistan to 182-7 in their 20 overs.
Pacers Rauf claimed 4-31 and Shaheen Afridi 2-21, while spinners Mohammad Nawaz (2-23) and Sufiyan Muqeem (2-25) bowled Afghanistan out for 143 in 19.5 overs before a noisy crowd of 16,000 at the Sharjah stadium.
Afghanistan put up a fight with opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz scoring 38 off 27 balls, including a six and three boundaries, and adding 51 runs for the second wicket with Sediqullah Atal, who contributed 23.
Rauf changed the game’s momentum with a two-wicket 12th over, dismissing Atal and Karim Janat without conceding a run.
Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan hit five sixes and a four in his rapid 16-ball 39 but was dismissed by Rauf, ending his team’s resistance.
Earlier, Pakistan was boosted by Agha’s fourth T20I half-century.
Agha anchored the innings well after opener Sahibzada Farhan hit two sixes and a boundary in his 10-ball 21 after Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat.
Agha added 53 runs for the fifth wicket with Nawaz, whose 11-ball 21 included two sixes and a boundary, helping Pakistan score 51 runs in the last five overs.
Pakistan will play hosts United Arab Emirates on Saturday.
All three teams will face each other twice, with the top two teams playing in the final on September 7.
(With AFP Inputs)
- Location :
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
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