In the first match of the three-match T20I series, Afghanistan defeated Pakistan by six wickets. In the opening match of the T20 series played in Sharjah, Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first.
In the first match of the series played in Sharjah, Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat first against Afghanistan. However, the national team lost 9 wickets for just 92 runs in the designated overs as they struggled against the Afghan bowlers.
From the beginning of the innings, the national team kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Imad Wasim (18), Saeem Ayub (17), and Tayyab Tahir (16) were the only batsmen who managed to put up a fight. Whereas, Abdullah Shafique and Azam Khan returned to the pavilion without scoring any runs.
Afghanistan’s Fazal Haq Farooqui, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeebur Rehman managed two each while captain Rashid Khan, Azmatullah and Naveenul Haq managed to take one each.
Chasing a target of 93 runs, Afghanistan comfortably achieved the target in the 18th over, losing only four wickets, handing Pakistan their first-ever loss in a T20I match.
In the second innings of the match, Mohammad Nabi scored an unbeaten 38 and Najeebullah scored 17 runs on behalf of Afghanistan. Two wickets from national team Ehsanullah, one each from Imad Wasim and Naseem Shah could not give Pakistan the win.
