Pakistan started the Asia Cup preparations with a 39-run win over the Afghans

Pakistan made a tremendous statement in the debut match of the UAE T20I Tri-Series 2025, defeating Afghanistan with ease by 39 runs at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on August 29. With skipper Salman Agha scoring a brutal, unbeaten half-century and Haris Rauf recording an impactful bowling spell that included two wickets on the trot, Pakistan once again displayed their depth and resilience against their great rival, Afghanistan, as they prepare notions of what is in store for the Asia Cup.

After Afghanistan stumbled to chase a big total of 183, they produced a late blitz led by Rashid Khan, who made it interesting as the wickets fell. Even with the excitement late, this match was a microcosm of the larger rivalry; one team with all-round capabilities against a single threat.

This loss drops Afghanistan down in points to start the series against a host in the UAE to complete the tri-series. It will be advantageous as Pakistan sees increased confidence ahead of the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup again in 2026.

Salman Agha’s Masterclass Powers Pakistan to Formidable Total

Pakistan opted to bat first after winning the toss on a pitch in Sharjah that was conducive to aggressive strokeplay. They certainly made a fast assessment of their batting might with Farhan providing the fireworks with a rapid fire (21 off 10) and hitting a six and a four in the very first over.

By the end of the powerplay, Pakistan were in a good position on 54/1. Afghanistan’s spinners fought back, reducing Pakistan’s good start to 63/3, as Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi dismissed Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman, just what Afghanistan needed.

Captain Salman Agha, who rewrote the scoreboard with an unbeaten 53 from 36 balls that contained three fours and three sixes, showcased his aggressive yet measured approach. Agha tackled tough pitch conditions in the early part of his innings but unleashed holy fury for the final part of his innings.

Agha also combined with Mohammad Nawaz for a sequence-changing 52-run partnership to increase the run-rate and ensure Pakistan made 180 runs. Contributions from the lower order, via Mohammad Haris and Faheem Ashraf, who scored 50 runs in 29 balls, contributed to the final score of 182/7.

Afghanistan’s Promising Start Crumbles Under Pressure

Afghanistan’s chase began with a clear intent, seeking to strike a balance between caution and aggression, in their attempt to remain in the contest. Opener Gurbaz rolled back in with a hurried 38 off 27 balls with a couple of sixes and was able to keep the required rate in check during the powerplay.

With support from Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal. Afghanistan were 93/2 in the 11th over, giving the impression that they had power hitters from the lower order that could fire them up for a late surge.

Nonetheless, the innings collapsed spectacularly in an implosion that shifted the momentum toward Pakistan so heavily that no amount of hitting would change the result for the Afghans.

Afghanistan found themselves in a confident position, but then simply went to pieces, losing 5 wickets for 4 runs in 16 balls, sinking to 97/7. The team’s fragility in chases is alarming; even though the team had choices of matches in ICC events, managing chases has been a problem area for Afghanistan consistently. Once Gurbaz was bowled by Nawaz in the sweep attempt, the middle order could never start rotating the strike again, and surrendered to the pressure of the dot-ball.

Rauf’s Double-Wicket Maiden: The Turning Point

The defining moment of the game came in the 12th over when Haris Rauf bowled a double-wicket maiden, which shattered Afghanistan’s backbone. Rauf was consistently running near 150kph, dismissing Atal and Karim Janat on two consecutive deliveries, and built significant pressure with hard-length deliveries with pace. Simply by virtue of that over, Afghanistan fell apart as they scored only 6 runs in the next 24 balls while losing 5 wickets.

Rauf ended with a fantastic return of 4-31, including the important dismissals of Rashid and Fareed Ahmad in the death overs. He was well supported by Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Nawaz, and Sufiyan Muqeem (2-25), who all bowled within their means in different phases of the innings.

Muqeem’s quick wickets of Darwish Rasooli and Mohammad Nabi produced further collapse, and Nawaz’s stumping of Omarzai (0) completed the destruction of the middle order. Pakistan’s bowlers worked well without the dew factor, making it difficult for batters and also demonstrating their skills on a Sharjah surface that is unpredictable.

Rashid Khan’s Explosive Cameo Falls Short

In a brief moment of spark, Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan raised the hopes of fans with a quickfire 39 off 16, which included one four and five sixes in a desperate counter-attack.  It got the equation down a little bit, but too little too late for him. Finally, he was dismissed, caught at deep backward square leg by Rauf. Afghanistan would end up bowled out for 143 runs in 19.5 overs.

After the match, Rashid said, “We lost so many wickets in the middle overs, and that cost us. Rotating strike is key in T20s.” Despite his heroics, the earlier collapse proved insurmountable, underscoring Afghanistan’s need to address momentum shifts in chases.

For Afghanistan, the defeat is disappointing but provides lessons for their matches with the UAE and the Asia Cup. Rashid said, “We are aiming to play our brand of cricket and that’s with 200 percent effort.” Pakistan plays the UAE in their next match on August 30, eyeing the final of the tri-series on September 7.

In a fiercely competitive rivalry, Pakistan’s clinical performance reasserted its position as T20 blood tests, with a mix of experience and young stars for victories to come.