Afghanistan vs Pakistan Highlights, T20I Tri-Series 1st Match: Pakistan Outplay Afghanistan By 39 Runs In Opener

That ends a highly one-sided game. It is a shame to be called such as Afghanistan were in really good contention at the halfway mark of the second innings. But as they say, while a good start paves the way for a good result, it is never over till the game is finished. And the Afghans lacked that finishing touch. They have a couple of days to think about that but as far as Pakistan are concerned, they don't have much time for a turnaround. They face United Arab Emirates in less than 24 hours, as game number 2 kicks off at 3 pm GMT on Saturday, 30th August, 2025. But our buildup will begin well in advance. So do tune in early. ADIOS! TAKE CARE!

The victorious captain of Pakistan, SALMAN AGHA, HAS BEEN ADJUDGED THE PLAYER OF THE MATCH, for his unbeaten 53 (36) with the bat. Salman starts by saying that in the first 7-8 overs, the ball was holding and he had to assess the conditions and backed himself to go big later on. Adds that he is not as good as he used to be against the spinners, but they have played against so many spinners in recent times that they were ready for it. Mentions that the bowling was outstanding and whoever came on did a good job and goes on to applaud the bowlers, especially Mohammad Nawaz, as it isn't easy for a finger spinner in this format. Adds that the discussion was always about scoring above par and they knew anything around 180 would be difficult for the opposition. Ends by saying that with Faheem Ashraf coming in at number 8, they have plenty of depth in the lineup.

The skipper of Afghanistan, RASHID KHAN, says that the run rate is something that matters in the tri series, and he kept on going and he felt he was lucky to get some runs. He says that the wicket was a 190-200 run wicket, and believes that they could have chased the target down. He mentions that in the middle overs, they lost wickets and that is what cost them the game. He ends by saying that they needed to rotate the strike as dot balls and the two quick wickets changed the momentum of the game completely.

... THE PRESENTATION ...

Earlier in the game, Pakistan fought back from a precarious position of 83/4, to finish on a commanding 182/7. Skipper Salman Agha led from the front, with a fine unbeaten 53 (36), ensuring that one set batter in the top 4 batted till the end. Picture this - In the last 9 overs, Pakistan hammered 99/4. In the same phase, Afghanistan could manage only 50/8. The spinners did well for the Afghans but they will believe that the team faltered with both bat and ball in the second half of both innings. Please stay tuned for the presentation.

Full marks to Pakistan for the way they came back hard. Shaheen Afridi provided the early spark with the new ball and eventually finished with 2 wickets. They then lost their way but Haris Rauf got them back in the 12th over, eventually finishing with a 4-fer - his 5th in T20Is. That gave room for Mohammad Nawaz and Sufiyan Muqeem to chip in with 2 scalps apiece.

Trying to chase down 183, Afghanistan lost Ibrahim Zadran early, but Rahmanullah Gurbaz kept the side in the hunt. He played some risky but effective counter-attacking strokes and when he was out there, victory seemed to be within grasp. His 38 (27) gave a much-needed impetus to his side but once he went, runs started to dry up. He ended up as the second highest scorer of the inning, with Rashid Khan's entertaining cameo of 39 topping the sheet. The rest of the batting, was simply blown away, with as many 6 single digit scores recorded.

Having mentioned all of the below, this loss will hurt Afghanistan deeply. It is one thing to lose against a team playing much better than you. It is another to lose from a commanding position. Not to suggest by any means that Pakistan did not play better cricket than Afghanistan. They were 83/4 in the 12th over, but managed nearly 100 runs in the last 9 overs. And with the ball, things were getting difficult for them, but they still found a way to claw back and then bite hard. Have to believe that the 12th over in the run chase changed the game, with Haris Rauf bowling a double-wicket maiden. From 93/2, the Afghans were reduced to 97/7 and there was no looking back from there on.

Sharjah can be a tricky place at the toss. Yes, toss. Small boundaries, lush outfield and dew expected. But if the dew does not arrive, then batting becomes very tricky. Only 4 times in 23 occasions has a score in excess of 150 been chased down here in T20Is and this match did not change that stat. Probably Afghanistan too, would have elected to bat first had they won the toss, because that's what they pride themselves upon.

A heart-wrenching loss for Afghanistan. They were 93/2 at one stage, needing 90 from 52 balls and then, it all changed. They have lost their last 8 wickets for just 50 runs, in 51 balls. It is also their second biggest loss in T20Is in Sharjah, in terms of run margins. Worryingly, from a batting point of view, they need a big solution as in their last 9 T20Is, this marks the 4th instance of them losing all 10 wickets.