Asia Cup: Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by 7 wickets

In the inaugural game of the Asia Cup’s Super Four phase, Pakistan emerged victorious over Bangladesh with a 7-wicket margin.

In the Asia Cup contest hosted in Lahore, Pakistan comfortably reached the 194-run target set by Bangladesh, losing only three wickets in 39.3 overs.

Imam-ul-Haq showcased an outstanding performance with a remarkable 78-run innings, while Mohammad Rizwan contributed an undefeated 63 runs to the team’s success.

Sharaful Islam managed to dismiss opener Fakhar Zaman after he scored 20 runs, and captain Babar Azam also made his way back to the pavilion with a score of 17 runs.

On the Bangladeshi side, Taskin Ahmed, Sharaf Islam, and Mehdi Hasan Maraz each claimed one wicket.

Bangladesh’s innings came to a close at 193 runs against Pakistan, setting a target of 194 runs for Pakistan to chase.

Pakistan managed to dismiss four Bangladeshi wickets for a mere 47 runs. However, Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim formed a remarkable century partnership for the fifth wicket, with Shakib-ul-Hasan contributing 53 runs, and Mushfiq-ur-Rahim adding 64 runs to the total.

Haris Rauf exhibited exceptional bowling skills, sending four players back to the pavilion, while Naseem Shah claimed 3 wickets, and Faheem Ashraf and Iftikhar Ahmed each secured one wicket.

In a single alteration to the Pakistan cricket team’s lineup for the match against Bangladesh, the fast-bowling all-rounder Faheem Ashraf has been selected, replacing the spinner Mohammad Nawaz.

During the toss ceremony, Bangladesh’s captain, Shakib Al Hasan, announced that Liton Das would be taking the place of Najamul Hussain Shanto in the team. He acknowledged the challenge of facing the top-ranked team and emphasized the need to deliver their best performance.

Babar Azam, the captain of the national cricket team, expressed that had he won the toss, he would have chosen to bat first. He highlighted the strength of Pakistan’s pace attack and stated their intention to restrict Bangladesh to a minimal total, aiming to secure a victory by maintaining their current momentum.

The national squad comprises Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Iftikhar Ahmed, Muhammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah.

Today’s match marks the final encounter of the Asia Cup hosted in Pakistan, and the victor will edge closer to claiming the tournament trophy.

Following this match, both teams will journey to Sri Lanka, where Pakistan will face arch-rivals India on September 10 in Colombo. Subsequently, the Green Shirts will confront defending champions Sri Lanka at the same venue on Thursday, September 14.