At Bulawayo Sports Club, Pakistan won the first Twenty20 International of the three-match series with 57 runs after bowling Zimbabwe out for 108 runs. Zimbabwe’s batting collapsed for 108 in 15.3 overs when chasing a difficult mark of 166, despite solid performances from opener Tadiwanashe Marumani and captain Sikandar Raza.
Also Read: Why Investing Early in Lakeshore City Taxila Is a Smart Move
The hosts had a bad start, with two wickets lost for 18 runs in the opening three overs. But with a rapid-fire hit of 33 from 20 balls, including four boundaries and a six, Marumani kept Zimbabwe in the hunt. After he was dismissed in the ninth over, Zimbabwe fell rapidly from 77/2 to 108 all out. Raza led the team in scoring with a heroic 39, but it was insufficient to save the loss.
Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem were the standout bowlers for Pakistan, claiming three wickets. Two more came from Haris Rauf and one from Jahandad Khan. Earlier, Omair Yousuf went out for just 16 runs, costing Pakistan an early wicket as they chose to bat first. The dismissal of Yousuf was followed by a brief but consistent partnership in which Saim Ayub scored 24 runs.
Usman Khan’s 39-run innings gave the Green Shirts much-needed momentum despite the early dismissals. Salman Agha scored 13 runs, but Tayyab Tahir and Irfan Khan’s combination powered Pakistan to a competitive total.
Tayyab Tahir scored 39 runs, and Irfan Khan contributed 27 runs on just 15 balls to help the team reach 165 runs.
