{"id":8951,"date":"2025-08-29T20:29:59","date_gmt":"2025-08-29T20:29:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/29\/salman-agha-haris-rauf-shine-as-pakistan-defeat-afghanistan-in-tri-series-opener-cricket-news\/"},"modified":"2025-08-29T20:29:59","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T20:29:59","slug":"salman-agha-haris-rauf-shine-as-pakistan-defeat-afghanistan-in-tri-series-opener-cricket-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/29\/salman-agha-haris-rauf-shine-as-pakistan-defeat-afghanistan-in-tri-series-opener-cricket-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Salman Agha, Haris Rauf Shine As Pakistan Defeat Afghanistan in Tri-Series Opener | Cricket News"},"content":{"rendered":"


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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.<\/h2>\n
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Haris Rauf picked four wickets against Pakistan (Picture credit: AFP)<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Agha scored 53 not out off 36 balls, including three sixes and three boundaries, lifting Pakistan to 182-7 in their 20 overs.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Rauf changed the game\u2019s momentum with a two-wicket 12th over, dismissing Atal and Karim Janat without conceding a run.<\/p>\n

Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan hit five sixes and a four in his rapid 16-ball 39 but was dismissed by Rauf, ending his team\u2019s resistance.<\/p>\n

Earlier, Pakistan was boosted by Agha\u2019s fourth T20I half-century.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Pakistan will play hosts United Arab Emirates on Saturday.<\/p>\n

All three teams will face each other twice, with the top two teams playing in the final on September 7.<\/p>\n

(With AFP Inputs)<\/p>\n