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Pakistan defeated Oman by 93 runs in the Asia Cup opener, with Mohammad Haris scoring 66 and Saim Ayub, Faheem Ashraf, Sufiyan Muqeem taking two wickets each.
Asia Cup: Pakistan defeated Oman by 93 runs (AP)
Wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Haris struck a fluent half-century to guide Pakistan to an emphatic 93-run win over minnows Oman in a Group A Asia Cup match on Friday.
Opting to bat, Pakistan amassed 160 for seven, with Haris contributing 63 off 43 balls.
In response, Oman had a disastrous start, losing skipper Jatinder Singh and Aamir Kaleem early before being bowled out for 67 in 16.4 overs.
Jatinder was cleaned up by off-spinner Saim Ayub with a carrom-ball, while Kaleem was trapped leg before wicket by Ayub.
Hamad Mirza hit some boundaries and sixes, but Mohammad Nadeem fell to left-arm spinner Sufiyan Muqeem, caught by Abrar Ahmed in a soft dismissal.
Oman continued to lose wickets regularly, with Sufyan Mehmood next to depart, caught by Hasan Nawaz attempting a slogsweep, resulting in an easy catch at deep mid-wicket.
Earlier, opting to bat first, Pakistan lost Saim Ayub (0) on the second delivery, trapped plumb in front of the wicket by Shah Faisal. Ayub reviewed, but the third umpire upheld the decision.
Haris (66 off 43 balls) and Sahibzada Farhan (29 off 29) then steadied the innings with an 85-run partnership for the second wicket. In the 10th over, Haris clobbered Sufyan Mehmood over deep mid-wicket for a six to bring up his fifty.
While Haris’ fifty provided a solid start for Pakistan, Farhan struggled with timing at the other end. Farhan was eventually caught and bowled by left-arm spinner Aamir Kaleem (3/31) in the 11th over.
Kaleem struck twice in the 13th over to further pin Pakistan down. First, he bowled a set Haris, who went for a reverse sweep but edged onto the stumps, and then dismissed Pakistan skipper Salman Agha (0), caught by Hammad Mirza off a full toss.
Left-arm medium pacer Shah Faisal (3/34) then dismissed Hasan Nawaz (9), caught by Hassnain Shah at deep point, leaving Pakistan at 120 for 5 in 16.4 overs.
Mohammad Nawaz (19 off 10 balls) then took the attack to the opposition, hitting boundaries alongside Fakhar Zaman (23 not out) to push Pakistan forward. Nawaz struck two consecutive boundaries off Hassnain Shah in the 18th over, while Zaman hit a four in the same over.
Nawaz played well before perishing in the final over in search of quick runs, leaving Zaman stranded at one end with 23 runs off 16 balls.
Brief Scores:
Pakistan: 160 for 7 in 20 overs (Mohammad Haris 66, Sahibzada Farhan 29; Aamir Kaleem 3/31, Shah Faisal 3/34).
Oman: 67 all out in 16.4 overs (Hammad Mirza 27; Faheem Ashraf 2/6).
(With inputs from PTI)
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin…Read More
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin… Read More
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
September 12, 2025, 23:41 IST
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