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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 4 wickets.
Haris Rauf picked 4 wickets against Pakistan (Picture credit: AFP)
Captain Salman Agha scored an unbeaten fifty and pacer Haris Rauf took 4 wickets to assist Pakistan beat Afghanistan by 39 runs within the tri-series opener in Sharjah on Friday.
Agha scored 53 not out off 36 balls, including three sixes and three boundaries, lifting Pakistan to 182-7 of their 20 overs.
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 loud crowd of 16,000 on the Sharjah stadium.
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.
Rauf modified the sport’s momentum with a two-wicket twelfth over, dismissing Atal and Karim Janat without conceding a run.
Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan hit five sixes and a 4 in his rapid 16-ball 39 but was dismissed by Rauf, ending his team’s resistance.
Earlier, Pakistan was boosted by Agha’s fourth T20I half-century.
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 selected to bat.
Agha added 53 runs for the fifth wicket with Nawaz, whose 11-ball 21 included two sixes and a boundary, helping Pakistan rating 51 runs within the last five overs.
Pakistan will play hosts United Arab Emirates on Saturday.
All three teams will face one another twice, with the highest two teams playing in the ultimate on September 7.
(With AFP Inputs)
- Location :
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
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