SAEDNEWS: Captain Salman Agha’s unbeaten 53 and a destructive spell from Haris Rauf — including a double-wicket maiden — powered Pakistan to a 39-run win over Afghanistan in the opening match of the UAE T20I tri-series at Sharjah.
According to Saed News, Pakistan posted 182 for 7 after electing to bat in Sharjah, then bowled out Afghanistan for 143 as a combination of middle-order power and incisive fast bowling decided the tri-series opener on August 29, 2025.
Pakistan lost early momentum but finished strongly thanks to captain Salman Agha, who compiled an unbeaten 53 off 36 balls. After a cautious middle spell against Afghanistan’s spinners, Pakistan launched in the back-end — scoring 99 in the final nine overs with useful late contributions from Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Haris and Faheem Ashraf, who combined for 50 runs in 29 balls and boosted the total into a challenging range.
Afghanistan’s chase looked competitive at 93 for 2, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Rashid Khan offering promise; Rashid’s 16-ball 39 briefly revived hopes. The contest turned dramatically when Haris Rauf returned to the attack in the 12th over and delivered a double-wicket maiden that triggered a collapse. Afghanistan lost five wickets for four runs in 16 balls, and the lower order could not rebuild the innings.
Rauf finished with 4-31, the defining bowling figure of the match, while Shaheen Shah Afridi (2-21), Mohammad Nawaz (2-23) and Sufiyan Muqeem (2-25) shared the wickets to strangle the chase. On the other side, Fareed Ahmad was the pick for Afghanistan with 2-47 as Pakistan’s top order set the platform.
The double-wicket maiden in the 12th over was the clear turning point: it destroyed partnerships and swung the momentum decisively Pakistan’s way. Afghanistan’s plan to trust the lower order briefly paid off, but Pakistan’s depth — both with bat and ball — proved too strong on a surface that favoured late hitting and disciplined fast bowling.
