Multan: Pakistan defeated Nepal by 238 runs in the opening match of Asia Cup 2023 at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
The hosts played a complete match and dominated the visitors in all aspects of the game.
Pakistan continued their fine form entering the Asia Cup on a high as they topped the ICC rankings for ODI teams after a 3-0 sweep of Afghanistan in Sri Lanka on Saturday.
Pakistan register a massive victory to start off their Asia Cup campaign 💪#PAKvNEP | 📝: https://t.co/1gff7IhTyI pic.twitter.com/Q5RMdNchlB
— ICC (@ICC) August 30, 2023
Shadab Khan took his side’s four wickets for just 27 runs and was the key to the Green Shirts’ wide margin of victory as the visitors were bowled out for 104 runs.
Mohammad Rizwan’s blinder behind the wicket and Fakhar Zaman’s brilliant catch were the highlights of the second innings of the match.
Shaheen Shah Afridi did what he does best as he sent two Nepali batsmen back to the pavilion in the first over.
Earlier in the first innings, Pakistan scored 342 for 6 in 50 overs after winning the toss and electing to bat first.
Captain Babar Azam and Iftikhar Ahmed scored brilliant centuries to take Pakistan forward.
Ahmed remained unbeaten by scoring 109 runs in 71 balls with the help of 11 fours and four sixes.
Meanwhile, Azam was dismissed after scoring 151 runs off 131 balls, which included 14 fours and four sixes.
The 28-year-old Azam broke the record of former South African batsman Hashim Amla as he became the fastest player to score 19 centuries in ODIs. He achieved this feat in just 102 innings while Amla achieved this feat in his 104th innings.
It should be noted that Babar Azam came in to bat after Pakistan’s early collapse as the score was 25-2 after the wickets of Fakhar Zaman and Imamul Haq fell.
The 28-year-old stood tall at the crease and put on a crucial 86-run partnership with Mohammad Rizwan before the wicketkeeper-batsman was run out in a strange fashion. Rizwan scored 44 runs off 50 balls.
After the loss of Rizwan’s wicket, Salman Agha (5) came in to bat, he too could not last long and lost his wicket trying to reverse sweep shot Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane.
After Agha’s wicket, Azam put on a solid partnership of 214 runs off just 131 balls with Iftikhar Ahmed.
Nepal as a team and Multan as a venue made their Asia Cup debut. It was also the first match between Pakistan and Nepal at the top level.
Lineups
Nepal: Kushal Bhartil, Asif Sheikh (wt), Rohit Padil (c), Arif Sheikh, Kushal Malla, Deepinder Singh Airy, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Muhammad Rizwan, Agha Salman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Muhammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf.
