It was an electric T20 match between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and Pakistan won by 39 runs. Having a target of 183 runs to pursue, Afghanistan was unsuccessful as it ended with 143 runs in 19.5 overs. The game was remarkable in terms of the performances of both teams, but endowed with the depth in batting and key bowling, Pakistan emerged the victors.

Match Overview:

• Date: August 29, 2025
• Venue: Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
• Result: Pakistan won by 39 runs

Pakistan’s Batting:

The batting lineup of Pakistan has accounted for a handsome total of 182/7 in 20 overs. Although there were some initial wickets lost, the middle order of Pakistan brought the team to a competitive figure. The best of the innings was the unbeatable 53 of 36 balls with Salman Agha at the plate. The performance of Agha saw Pakistan get to a decent total, which subsequently proved to be the margin.

• Pakistan was off to a rapid start with Sahibzada Farhan hitting 21 runs off 10 balls before falling to Azmatullah Omarzai.
• A quick knock was struck by Saim Ayub, who, scoring 14 on 16 balls, was dismissed by Rashid Khan.
• Fakhar Zaman scored 20 runs off 17 balls but was caught in the act by Mohammad Nabi cheaply.
• Salman Agha was firm in the middle of the field, anchoring the innings and ensuring that Pakistan posted a quick target which was defendable with a sensational 53*.
• Hasan Nawaz made 9 before he was sacked by Fareed Ahmad.
• Mohammad Nawaz contributed 21 of the 11-ball runs and was caught by Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
• Mohammad Haris added 15 runs in no time and was dismissed.
• Faheem Ashraf played out his strength, as he struck 14 by hitting only 5 balls, thus boosting the Pakistan tally in the end.

The innings of Pakistan was characterized by some fast and aggressive batting and particularly in the middle order, but the most important was the consistent hand of Salman Agha. Although Afghanistan fought a good bowling battle, the rapid scoring of Pakistan helped them end on a high note.

Afghanistan’s Bowling:

• The bowlers of Afghanistan, headed by Rashid Khan and Fareed Ahmad, did their best but were unsuccessful in stopping Pakistan from attaining a competitive total.
• Fazalhaq Farooqi bowled 3 times and gave 31 runs without getting a wicket.
• The most economical bowler was Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who bowled 1 wicket in 22 runs in 4 overs.
• Azmatullah Omarzai was an expensive bowler, conceding 28 runs in 2 overs, and snatched a wicket.
• The bowlers had a star in Mohammad Nabi, who bowled 1 wicket in 18 runs in 3 overs.
• Another man who got 1 wicket at 26 runs was Rashid Khan.
• Fareed Ahmad took 2 wickets; however, he conceded 47 runs in 4 overs, and it was not a good day in the history of Afghanistan bowlers.
• The bowlers of Afghanistan struggled to contain Pakistan, but the middle-order onslaught was hard to contain.

Afghanistan’s Response:

The pursuit of Afghanistan did not start off very well, as the early pressure resulted in the loss of some of their wickets. Having a target of 183, Afghanistan had to have a great start, but they could not forge alliances during their innings.

• Rahmanullah Gurbaz made a valiant knock, having hit 38 out of 27 balls; however, he had been dismissed during the 7th over by Mohammad Nawaz, and this had been a huge blow to Afghanistan.
• Ibrahim Zadran added 9 runs but was sacked by Shaheen Shah Afridi.
• Sediqullah Atal and Darwish Rasooli attempted to reinstitute the innings but made 23 and 21 runs respectively. Yet they could not speed up, and each was dropped at a vital time.
• Haris Rauf fired a duck at Karim Janat, and it made the task of Afghanistan even harder.
• It was also cheaply done to Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi as Afghanistan was losing wickets at a high rate, with the team being left at 95/7.
• Rashid Khan gave a heroic knock at the last moment, whereby he made 39 runs off 16 balls, including some of the big hits, yet he failed to put Afghanistan across the line.
• Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Fareed Ahmad were sent back with 1-digit scores, and Afghanistan were all out on 143 runs short by 39.

Pakistan’s Bowling:

The bowlers in Pakistan executed their schemes to perfection as they curtailed the chase of Afghanistan right in the initial stages.

• Shaheen Shah Afridi was very brilliant with the ball, getting 2 wickets off 21 runs in 4 overs. It is his major rejection of Ibrahim Zadran early in the book that helped Pakistan take the advantage.
• Mohammad Nawaz was also brilliant, securing 2 wickets and 23 out of 4 overs, and the most important wicket, Azmatullah Omarzai.
• Faheem Ashraf was not very straightforward with the ball and yet held back 15 runs with only 1 over.
• Haris Rauf was outstanding, and he claimed 4 wickets in 3.5 overs with 31 runs. This is because his bowling when pressure was on in the middle overs played a major role in the fall of Afghanistan.
• Sufiyan Muqeem bowled 4 overs with 25 runs and 2 wickets and helped the team work to have Afghanistan bowled out.
• Salman Agha also made a contribution of the ball but failed to take a wicket and conceded only 6 runs in his 1 over.

Player of the Match:

Salman Agha was awarded the Player of the Match due to his overall performance. His 53 crucial runs led Pakistan to a defendable score, and his leadership and calmness played central roles in the win of Pakistan.

Zee Sports Updates MVP:

The Zee Sports Updates MVP was awarded to Mohammad Nawaz, who earned a total of 68.33 points. His wicket-taking of 2 wickets out of 23 and usefulness with the bat were crucial in the victory of Pakistan.

Conclusion:

The win came on the basis of an all-round effort with Salman Agha at the front of the bat and Mohammad Nawaz at the front of the ball. Afghanistan, however, had its potential but could not take advantage of crucial opportunities. Rashid Khan held on very late, but the distance was too far to be defeated by Afghanistan, and the disciplined bowling by Pakistan and fast batting gave Pakistan the victory.

In the 39-run win, Pakistan demonstrated that they can perform well in the T20I format, and with some of their central players performing well, they will be assured heading to their next game.