Pakistan showcased their exceptional cricket skills in a remarkable 238-run victory over Nepal in the opening game of the Asia Cup in Multan on Wednesday. The home team set an intimidating target of 343 runs, and Nepal struggled to reach a mere 104 runs before being dismissed. Pakistan’s dominant performance was led by skipper Babar Azam and middle-order batsman Iftikhar Ahmed.
Despite a rocky start, the Pakistani team managed to score a formidable 342-6. Babar Azam’s extraordinary knock of 151 off 131 balls and Iftikhar Ahmed’s impressive 109 off 71 balls played a crucial role in setting a high target for Nepal.
Nepal’s response crumbled under Pakistan’s fierce bowling attack. Shadab Khan took four wickets for 27 runs in 6.4 overs, while pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf contributed with two wickets each in their five-over spells. Left-arm spinner Muhammad Nawaz also secured a wicket.
Sompal Kami emerged as Nepal’s top scorer with 28 runs, but his efforts were not enough to challenge Pakistan’s dominance.
In the early stages of the match, Nepal’s bowlers managed to restrict Pakistan to 124-4 in the 28th over. However, they struggled to contain the onslaught from Babar Azam and Iftikhar Ahmed in the later overs. The duo added a remarkable 214 runs off just 131 balls, putting Pakistan back in control.
Babar Azam, who won the toss and chose to bat, displayed his remarkable skills by hitting 14 boundaries and four sixes. Iftikhar Ahmed complemented him with 11 boundaries and four sixes, contributing to Pakistan’s rapid scoring in the last 10 overs.
Pakistan faced some setbacks early in the match as opener Fakhar Zaman was dismissed for 14 and Imam-ul-Haq was run out for five. However, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan built a strong partnership of 86 runs for the third wicket before Rizwan was also run out. Despite these challenges, Agha Salman fell for just five runs, leaving it up to Azam and Ahmed to rescue the team.
Adding to Nepal’s woes, their ground fielding was often undisciplined, allowing Pakistan to capitalize on missed opportunities. Karan Chhetri, in particular, dropped Babar Azam on 55 when he failed to make a simple caught-and-bowled chance.
Iftikhar Ahmed’s previous best ODI score was 94 not out against New Zealand earlier this year in Karachi.
Nepal’s fast bowler Sompal Kami was the standout performer for his team, taking 2-85.
The Asia Cup is being hosted on a hybrid model this year, with Pakistan hosting four matches and Sri Lanka hosting nine. This decision came after India refused to tour Pakistan due to political tensions.
Teams:
Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi
Nepal: Rohit Paudel (captain), Kushal Bhurtel, Aarif Sheikh, Kushal Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Gulsan Jha, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi
Umpires: Chris Gaffaney (NZL) and Masudur Rahman (BAN)
TV umpire: Langton Rusere (ZIM) Match referee: David Boon (AUS)
This article contains additional information from AFP.