Pakistan start victorious in Asia Cup, defeat Nepal by 238 runs

Pakistan got off to a winning start in the Asia Cup thanks to Babar Azam’s 151 and Iftikhar Ahmed’s brilliant century, defeating Nepal by 238 runs in the first match.

Pakistan is hosting the Asia Cup following 15 years and the opening match was played at the Multan Cricket Stadium following a grand ceremony where captain Babar Azam won the toss and decided to bat first once morest Nepal.

When Pakistan started batting, Fakhar Zaman’s poor performance continued and he was dismissed for 14 runs off 21 balls. He faced 20 balls.

Imam-ul-Haq was also soon run out on 25, having scored 5 runs off 14 balls.

Mohammad Rizwan came in to support Babar Azam and the two experienced batsmen took the score to 111 runs and tried to get the team out of trouble.

Mohammad Rizwan scored 44 runs off 50 balls with the help of 6 fours, but he was run out by Iry of Nepal at a crucial moment.

Babar Azam completed a half-century in the first match of the Asia Cup, but Agha Salman might not support him for long from the second end and was dismissed for 5 runs.

Babar Azam and Iftikhar Ahmed formed a perfect partnership to propel Pakistan’s score as the skipper completed his 19th ODI century.

Iftikhar Ahmed completed his half century in 43 balls.

When Babar Azam scored an individual score of 143 runs, he became the second batsman to play the highest innings in the Asia Cup, following India’s legendary batsman Virat Kohli scored 183 runs once morest Pakistan in 2012.

The captain of the national team crossed the 150-run milestone for the second time in his ODI career and earned the distinction of playing the highest individual innings for Pakistan in the Asia Cup.

Babar Azam and Iftikhar Ahmed put on a partnership of 214 runs off 131 balls, including Babar Azam’s 102 and Iftikhar’s 109, which is Pakistan’s highest fifth-wicket partnership.

Iftikhar Ahmed completed his century in 67 balls which is the fourth fastest century in the Asia Cup.

Babar Azam was caught out by substitute fielder Jura in the last over off the ball of Sompal Kami, but he played a brilliant innings of 151 runs off 131 balls with the help of 14 fours and 4 sixes.

Shadab Khan came in to bat in the last two balls and was bowled on the last ball following hitting a boundary.

Pakistan scored 342 runs for 6 wickets in the allotted 50 overs.

Iftikhar Ahmed remained not out by scoring 109 runs off 71 balls with the help of 11 fours and 4 sixes.

Sompal Kami was the top wicket taker for Nepal with 2 wickets, Karan KC and Sandeep Lemechen got one wicket each.

Nepal chased down the big target with a boundary off Shaheen Shah Afridi on the first ball, but the Maynaz bowler had Kaushal Bhartel caught by Mohammad Rizwan on the fifth ball.

Shaheen Shah Afridi scored the second victory by sending Nepal captain Rohit Paudel to the pavilion on the last ball of the first over.

Naseem Shah dismissed Asif Shaikh, who had scored 5 runs, in his second and first over of the innings.

Pakistani bowlers took 3 wickets of Nepal for 14 runs and made the inexperienced Nepal team in trouble in the world of cricket.

Arif Sheikh and Somp Kami put on a 59-run partnership for the fourth wicket for Nepal to take the score to 73 runs.

Fast bowler Haris Rauf took Pakistan’s fourth wicket in the 15th over to end a good Nepal partnership, Arif Shaikh scored 26 off 38 balls with 5 fours.

Haris Rauf also targeted the second batsman Sompal Kami in his next over, who scored 28 runs off 46 balls with 4 fours.

Nepal’s 5 wickets had fallen on the score of 82.

Muhammad Nawaz scored 3 runs on the score of 90 and blew the wickets of Deepandra Singh.

National team vice-captain Shadab Khan dealt another blow to Nepal in the 22nd over when Gulson Jha, who played an innings of 13 runs, was caught by Fakhar, at which time Nepal’s score was 91 and it was the seventh wicket to fall.

Shadab dismissed Sandeep Lemechen for a wicket on the fifth ball of the 22nd over.

Earlier following winning the toss, national team captain Babar Azam said that the pitch is looking good and scary, so we have decided to bat first.

He further said that he wanted to give confidence to the team for the match, so the playing eleven had already been announced, we will enjoy our cricket, we will play good cricket in the Asia Cup.

Both teams for the match consisted of these players:

Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Fakhr Zaman, Imamul Haque, Muhammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Muhammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf.

Nepal: Rohit Paudel (captain), Kaushal Bhartel, Asif Sheikh, Arif Sheikh, Kaushal Malla, Dipendra Singh Airey, Gulsan Jha, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Sandeep Lemechen, Lalit Lajbanshi