Pakistan sent out a strong statement ahead of the Asia Cup as they thumped Afghanistan by 39 runs in the tri-series opener at a packed Sharjah Stadium on Friday night. Skipper Salman Agha led from the front with an unbeaten half-century, while pacer Haris Rauf tore through Afghanistan’s middle order to seal an impressive all-round win.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Batting first after winning the toss, Pakistan posted a challenging 182/7 in 20 overs. Salman Agha played the anchor’s role superbly, smashing 53 not out off 36 balls with three sixes and as many boundaries. He stitched a crucial 53-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Mohammad Nawaz, who chipped in with a brisk 21 off 11 balls. Earlier, opener Sahibzada Farhan set the tone with a quickfire 21 from 10 balls.
Afghanistan started their chase steadily, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz (38 off 27 balls) and Sediqullah Atal (23) adding 51 for the second wicket. But the game turned dramatically when Rauf bowled a fiery 12th over, dismissing Atal and Karim Janat without conceding a run. He eventually finished with 4-31, while Shaheen Afridi (2-21) and spinners Nawaz (2-23) and Sufiyan Muqeem (2-25) shared the spoils to bowl out Afghanistan for 143 in 19.5 overs.
Skipper Rashid Khan fought back valiantly with a blazing 39 off 16 balls, hitting five sixes, but his dismissal to Rauf ended Afghanistan’s hopes.
With this win, Pakistan have gained early momentum in the tri-series that also features hosts UAE. They face UAE next on Saturday, with the top two teams to contest the final on September 7.
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