Did Pakistan Clinch a 93-Run Victory Over Oman in the Asia Cup?

Dubai, Sep 12 (NationPress) Pakistan commenced their Asia Cup journey with an impressive victory, defeating Oman by 93 runs in the Group A encounter held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday.

With a solid performance from Mohammad Haris, who scored a half-century, Pakistan set a total of 160/7. However, it was the exceptional bowling display from Pakistan that ensured a decisive win to kick off their campaign.

As Oman chased a target of 161, Aamir Kaleem and Hammad Mirza were the only batters to pose a challenge, scoring 13 and 27 runs respectively. Saim Ayub initiated Pakistan’s assault by dismissing the Oman captain, Jatinder Singh, for just 3 runs. He followed up by sending Kaleem back to the pavilion, striking a significant blow to Oman's hopes during the powerplay, leaving them at 40/2.

Things worsened for Oman when Sufiyan Muqeem joined the bowling attack, taking out Mohammad Nadeem (3) in the seventh over. The following over saw Mohammad Nawaz further complicate matters for Oman by dismissing Sufyan Mehmood (1). A direct hit from Shaheen Shah Afridi sent Vinayak Shukla (2) back after a mix-up. In the same over, Muqeem also removed Mirza, leaving Oman reeling at 49/6.

With their batting order in disarray, Pakistan’s bowlers had a field day, wrapping up Oman’s innings at just 67 runs in 16.4 overs.

For Pakistan, Faheem Ashraf, Muqeem, and Ayub each claimed two wickets, while Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, and Nawaz secured one wicket each.

Earlier, commendable bowling performances from Shah Faisal and Aamir Kaleem, each taking three wickets, restricted Pakistan to a total of 160/7 in 20 overs. Mohammad Haris was the standout performer with 66 runs, while Fakhar Zaman remained not out on 23, helping the team reach a competitive score.

Haris’ innings was the highlight of Pakistan's batting despite early setbacks after choosing to bat first.

Opener Saim Ayub fell for a golden duck, trapped by Shah Faisal, which gave Pakistan an early scare. However, Haris and Sahibzada Farhan steadied the innings with an important 84-run partnership for the second wicket, as Haris took calculated risks to keep the scoreboard ticking.

Haris reached his first T20I half-century in just 32 balls as Pakistan stood at 85/1 after 10 overs, adding 38 runs in the four overs post the powerplay.

Just when things seemed to favor Pakistan, Aamir Kaleem struck again, dismissing Farhan for 29 in the 11th over. In the following over, Kaleem also sent Haris packing after his impressive 66 runs, which included three sixes and seven fours.

Kaleem cleverly trapped Pakistan's captain, Salman Agha, with a flighted full-toss, leading to a simple catch for Hammad Mirza. This double blow put pressure on Pakistan as Hasan Nawaz fell for nine runs in the 17th over. Faisal dismissed Mohammad Nawaz in his next over, dashing Pakistan’s hopes of a late surge.

Ultimately, Oman’s bowlers did well under pressure, managing to keep Pakistan's innings in check despite the latter opting to bat first.

Kaleem and Faisal were standout bowlers for Oman, both taking three wickets, while Shakeel Ahmed was the most economical, finishing with figures of 0-17 in his four overs.

Brief Scores: Pakistan 160/7 in 20 overs (Mohammad Haris 66, Sahibzada Farhan 29; Aamir Kaleem 3-31, Shah Faisal 3-34) defeated Oman 67/10 in 16.4 overs (Hammad Mirza 27; Saim Ayub 2-8, Faheem Ashraf 2-6, Sufiyan Muqeem 2-7) by 93 runs.