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Sharjah tri-series: Pakistan thrash Afghanistan in first match
Pacer Haris Rauf (4/31) and skipper Salman Agha (53 off 36 balls) delivered superb performances as Pakistan beat Afghanistan by 39 runs at Sharjah Cricket Stadium
- PUBLISHED: Fri 29 Aug 2025, 11:20 PM UPDATED: Fri 29 Aug 2025, 11:23 PM
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Pakistan produced a superlative all-round performance to beat Afghanistan by 39 runs in the first match of the tri-series at a packed Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday.
Having made 182 for seven after electing to bat, thanks to skipper Salman Agha’s 36-ball unbeaten 53 (3 fours, 3 sixes), Pakistan bowlers rose to the challenge by restricting the Afghans to 143 all out in 19.5 overs.
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Pacer Haris Rauf (4/31) delivered an outstanding spell as Shaheen Shah Afridi, the star left-arm fast bowler, also took two wickets for 21runs in four overs.
The clinical performance was a great confidence-booster for the Pakistan team ahead of the Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which will start on September 9.
“Every match is important for us and our solid preparations in Dubai since we arrived here have helped us a lot,” Rauf said after the match.
Chasing 183, Afghanistan were in all sorts of trouble at 7/97 as skipper Rashid Khan’s 16-ball 39 only delayed the inevitable.
“We lost so many wickets (in the overs between 11-15) and that did not give us the momentum (towards the end). If we had a couple of good overs between overs 11-16, we could have chased it,” Rashid said.
Pakistan will be back on the field on Saturday for their second match of the tournament against the UAE.
The home team made history on the same ground with a stunning 2-1 T20I series win over Bangladesh in May.
But the Muhammad Wasim-led UAE, which will make their first Asia Cup appearance next month after more than 10 years, will face a tough challenge against Pakistan.
The match starts at 7 pm.
Rituraj Borkakoty is Sports Editor and has spent more than two decades writing on his sporting heroes. He also loves an underdog story, so if you have one, share it with him. He would love to bring it to life.