RAWALPINDI: Pakistan kicked off the Tri-Nation T20 Series with a commanding 5-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the opening match.
Chasing a target of 148, Pakistan reached the total comfortably, losing 5 wickets with four balls to spare.
The match was held at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, where Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and opted to bowl first.
Zimbabwe got off to a strong start, with their openers putting on a solid 72-run partnership. However, the momentum shifted when Marumani was dismissed for 30 runs. The Zimbabwean middle order struggled, with former captain Brendan Taylor being run out for just 14 runs.
Brian Bennett, the top scorer for Zimbabwe, made a valuable contribution with 49 runs, but was dismissed soon after. Other notable contributions came from Sikandar Raza (34 runs) and Ryan Burl (8 runs). Zimbabwe ended their innings at 147/8 after 20 overs.
Pakistan’s bowlers were disciplined, with Mohammad Nawaz taking 2 wickets. Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Saeem Ayub, and Salman Mirza each chipped in with one wicket, effectively limiting Zimbabwe’s total.
In response, Pakistan’s chase was led by Fakhar Zaman, who top-scored with 44 runs. Saeem Ayub (22) and Sahibzada Farhan (16) made useful contributions, while captain Babar Azam (0) and Salman Ali Agha (1) were dismissed cheaply.
With the target in sight, Usman Khan (37*) and Mohammad Nawaz (20*) steered Pakistan to victory, ensuring their side got over the line with four balls remaining. Zimbabwe’s Sean Williams was the standout bowler for his team, taking 2 wickets, but Pakistan’s strong finish proved too much to handle.
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