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ABU DHABI: Khawaja Nafay and Ali Majid starred in Quetta Qavalry’s eight-run victory over Aspin Stallions here in the 16th fixture of the Abu Dhabi T10.

Chasing 101, Aspin Stallions fell short of the target and ended their innings on 92-8 at the end of their 10 overs.

With this, Qavalry have now won all five games and are at the top of the points table.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Avishka Fernando remained the notable contributors with 24 from 16 and 23 off 12, respectively. However, neither batter could take their team over the line.

For Quetta Qavalry, Ali Majid starred with the ball and picked up two wickets, whereas Mohammad Amir managed to pick one.

Earlier, after being put into bat, Quetta Qavalary made 100-7 in their allotted 10 overs.

Aspin Stallions did well to restrict Qavalry from going big in the early over; however, it was Khawaja Nafay’s whirlwind 35 from 17, laced with two sixes and four boundaries, that ensured that his side finished strong.

Zohair Iqbal remained impressive with the ball, taking three wickets in his two overs.

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In the 17th fixture, Vista Rider secured a five-wicket victory over Northern Warriors as skipper Faf du Plessis starred with an unbeaten 53* from 25 balls.

Chasing 112, Riders hit the winning runs on the second ball of the final over. Du Plessis hit six fours and two sixes.

Tabraiz Shamsi snared two wickets for Northern Warriors.

Earlier, after being put into bat first, Northern Warriors racked up 112-4 in their 10 overs.

Johnson Charles remained the top-scorer for them with 44 from 30 balls, striking four sixes and two fours.

For Riders, Dhananjaya Lakshan scalped two wickets.

Meanwhile, Ajman Titans also sealed their second win of the tournament with a victory over Royal Champs.

Titans chased down the 110-run target in 8.2 overs, losing just three wickets in the process.

Rilee Rossouw, who came in as an impact substitute, hit 37 from 20, laced with two sixes and four boundaries to help his side cross the finishing line.

Alex Hales remained the other notable contributor with 21 off 10, an innings featuring three fours and a six.

Chris Jordan, Rishi Dhawan, and Daniel Sams managed to take one wicket.

Earlier, Royal Champs scored 109-5 in their 10 overs, thanks to Brandon McMullen’s 43 off 26 balls. He hit four boundaries and a six in his knock.

For Chris Green and Wasim Akram remained impressive with the ball, scalping two wickets apiece.

READ: Shaheens Beat Bangladesh A in super over to win Asia Cup Rising Stars

DOHA: Pakistan Shaheens defeated Bangladesh A in a thrilling super over to lift the Asia Cup Rising Stars here at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. 

Chasing a stiff 126, Bangladesh crumbled under pressure and ended on a tie with 125-9 at the end of their innings.

Habibur Rahman Sohan and Jishan Alam added 22 for the opening wicket in 2.3 overs. Alam was trapped lbw for six off Arafat Minhas’ bowling, who sparked a collapse with his spin bowling.

Habibur Rahman (26 off 17 balls) was the second to go in the fourth over, followed by Mahidul Islam Ankon, who could not open his account.

Consequently, Bangladesh were reduced 36-3 in 4.2 overs.

Pakistan spinner continued to mount pressure with wickets at regular intervals as the Tigers slumped to 53-7 at the halfway stage of the innings.

However, it was Ripon Mondol’s and SM Meherob’s 37-run stand that took the score near the 100-run mark. Meherob departed after scoring 19 from 21 balls.

With this, the Tigers’ hopes falter not until Abdul Gaffar Saqlain, 16 from 12 balls. The right-hander tonked Shahid Aziz to three sixes to bring down the equation to seven from six balls.

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Yet, the match went into the super over with Bangladesh setting Pakistan a seven-run target, which they chased on the fourth ball, courtesy of Saad Massod’s boundary.

A gritty partnership between Rakibul Hasan and SM Meherob revived Bangladesh’s hopes. The pair added 37 valuable runs, taking the score to 88-7 by the 15-over mark.

Earlier, Bangladesh right-arm pacer Ripon Mondol took a three-wicket haul to bundle out Pakistan Shaheens’ innings for a mere total.

Put into bat first, Bangladesh skittled Pakistan for 125 in 20 overs.

Pakistan’s innings started on a poor note as opener Yasir Khan was sent back for a golden duck.

The Green Shirts were pegged back with another wicket in the next over as Mohammad Faiq was cleaned for a second-ball duck, leaving the side reeling at 2-2 in just 1.1 overs.

Following the early hiccups, Ghazi Ghori and Maaz Sadaqat tried to stabilize the innings with a brief 23-run stand, but Ghori’s sluggish nine-run knock ended when he was dismissed by Rakibul Hasan.

The slide continued as Bangladesh tore through the middle-order and reduced them to 49-4 at the end of the seventh over.

Arafat Minhas and Captain Irfan Niazi tried to arrest the slide but could not, and hence lost their wickets. As a result, Pakistan were 75-6 in 14.2 overs. However, Saad Masood played a vital innings that lifted them to a fighting total.

Masood struck three sixes and three fours on his way to 38 from 26 balls.

For Bangladesh, Ripon Mondol picked up three wickets, whereas Rakibul Hasan bagged two.

READ: Babar Azam equals Virat Kohli’s T20I half-centuries record

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan ace batter Babar Azam equalled India’s Virat Kohli’s record for the most half-centuries in T20I cricket during the tri-series fixture against Zimbabwe.

The right-hander notched up his 38th half-century here at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday, reaching the landmark in the 14th over off 43 balls with four boundaries.

Opting to bat first, Pakistan posted 195-5 in their 20 overs, courtesy of Sahibzada Farhan’s and Babar Azam’s gutsy knocks.

Most fifties in T20Is

• 38 – Virat Kohli (117 innings)
• 38 – Babar Azam (127 innings)*
• 32 – Rohit Sharma (151 innings)
• 30 – Mohammad Rizwan (93 innings)
• 28 – David Warner (110 innings)
• 28 – Jos Buttler (132 innings)

After losing Saim Ayub in the second over, Sahibzada Farhan and Babar Azam forged a 103-run stand.

Overall, Farhan, who remained the core aggressor, made 63 from 41 balls, laced with three maximums and four boundaries, while Babar played the second fiddle and hit two sixes and seven fours on his way to 74 from 52 balls.

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Sahibzada departed in the 15th over when Pakistan were cruising at 132 in 15.2 overs.

Nonetheless, it was Fakhar Zaman’s cameo in the last over that took Pakistan near the 200-run mark. The southpaw, who came down the order, hit three sixes in his 27 from just 10 balls.

For Zimbabwe, Sikandar Raza picked up two wickets in his quota of four overs.

For the unversed, Babar Azam is already leading the run charts in T20I cricket as he has amassed 4392 runs to his name in 134 matches with the help of 38 fifties and three centuries.

READ: Pakistan-Australia ODI series likely to be postponed: reports

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan off-spinner Usman Tariq on Sunday entered an elite list after claiming a hat-trick against Zimbabwe in the tri-series fixture here at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Usman achieved the feat in the 10th over of Zimbabwe’s innings, which left the Chevrons reeling at 60-7.

The right-armer, first Tony Munyonga, for one, cleaned up Tashinga Musekiwa for duck, and lastly removed Wellington Masakadza to record a landmark feat.

The 30-year-old became the fourth Pakistani player to bag a hat-trick in the shorter format.

Hat-tricks for Pakistan in T20Is

Faheem Ashraf against Sri Lanka in 2017

Mohammad Hasnain against Sri Lanka in 2019

Mohammad Nawaz against Afghanistan 2025

Usman Tariq against Zimbabwe 2025

Batting first here under lights at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Pakistan piled up 195-5 in their 20 overs.

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Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan added 29 for the opening wicket in 2.3 overs. The former was caught after scoring 13 from 8 with the help of two sixes.

Following the early wicket, Sahibzada Farhan and Babar Azam forged a 103-run stand as both players flexed their muscles at the back end of the innings.

Farhan, who remained the core aggressor, made 63 from 41 balls, laced with three maximums and four boundaries, while Babar played the second fiddle and hit two sixes and seven fours on his way to 74 from 52 balls.

Sahibzada departed in the 15th over when Pakistan were cruising at 132 in 15.2 overs.

Nonetheless, it was Fakhar Zaman’s cameo in the last over that took Pakistan near the 200-run mark. The southpaw, who came down the order, hit three sixes in his 27 from just 10 balls.

For Zimbabwe, Sikandar Raza picked up two wickets in his quota of four overs.

READ: Pakistan-Australia ODI series likely to be postponed: reports

RAWALPINDI: Babar Azam’s gutsy half-century, backed by Usman Tariq’s four-wicket haul, propelled Pakistan to a 69-run victory over Zimbabwe in the fourth fixture of the T20I tri-series.

Set a daunting 196-run target, Zimbabwe were bowled out for 126 in 19 overs.

Naseem Shah and Mohammad Wasim inflicted a poor start on Zimbabwe as they were reduced to 25-3 in 3.3 overs.

Brian Bennett managed to score nine while Tadiwanashe Marumani went back after scoring four. Veteran batter Brendan Taylor also got out after scoring only eight.

With this, skipper Sikandar Raza arrived at the crease and tried to put the Chevrons’ chase back on track with a 34-run partnership alongside Ryan Burl.

The scorecard read 59 when Raza (23) was caught off Mohammad Nawaz’s bowling, a wicket that sparked a collapse that the visitors could not recover from it.

Catch Pakistan Tri-Series news updates here

Usman Tariq further piled on misery with a hat-trick in the 10th over, which left them reeling at 60-7. However, it was Ryan Burl’s spirited knock off 67* from 49 balls with the aid of eight fours and two sixes that helped them cross 100-run mark.

For Pakistan, Usman Tariq stood out with four wickets to his name, whereas Mohammad Nawaz scalped two in his four overs.

Earlier, Sahibzada Farhan and Babar Azam’s half-centuries and Fakhar Zaman’s cameo powered Pakistan to a strong total.

Batting first here under lights at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Pakistan piled up 195-5 in their 20 overs.

Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan added 29 for the opening wicket in 2.3 overs. The former was caught after scoring 13 from 8 with the help of two sixes.

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Following the early wicket, Sahibzada Farhan and Babar Azam forged a 103-run stand as both players flexed their muscles at the back end of the innings.

Farhan, who remained the core aggressor, made 63 from 41 balls, laced with three maximums and four boundaries, while Babar played the second fiddle and hit two sixes and seven fours on his way to 74 from 52 balls.

Sahibzada departed in the 15th over when Pakistan were cruising at 132 in 15.2 overs.

Nonetheless, it was Fakhar Zaman’s cameo in the last over that took Pakistan near the 200-run mark. The southpaw, who came down the order, hit three sixes in his 27 from just 10 balls.

For Zimbabwe, Sikandar Raza picked up two wickets in his quota of four overs.

READ: Muthusamy ton, Jansen 93 put South Africa on top in second India Test

DOHA: Bangladesh A have won the toss and decided to bowl first against Pakistan Shaheens in the final of the Asia Cup Rising Stars here at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Playing XIs

Bangladesh A: 1 Jishan Alam, 2 Habibur Rahman, 3 Yasir Ali, 4 Akbar Ali (capt & wk), 5 Rakibul Hasan, 6 Mahidul Islam, 7 Meherob Hossain, 8 Mahfuzur Rahman, 9 Mrittunjoy Chowdhary, 10 Ripon Mondol, 11 Abdul Gaffar

Pakistan Shaheens: 1 Maaz Sadaqat, 2 Yasir Khan, 3 Mohammad Faiq, 4 Irfan Khan (capt), 5 Ghazi Ghori (wk), 6 Saad Masood, 7 Arafat Minhas, 8 Shahid Aziz, 9 Ahmed Daniyal, 10 Ubaid Shah, 11 Sufiyan Muqeem

Pakistan Shaheens are so far unbeaten in the tournament. They started their campaign with a 40-run victory over Oman, followed by an easy win.

They also defeated arch-rivals India A by eight wickets and then ended the group stage with another big win against UAE.

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Pakistan Shaheens reached the pinnacle clash after defeating Sri Lanka A in the semi-final.

On the contrary, Bangladesh A also remained impressive throughout the tournament, losing only one encounter against Sri Lanka A.

However, they kept their cool head in the semi-final against India A and clinched victory in the super over.

READ: Muthusamy ton, Jansen 93 put South Africa on top in second India Test

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan have won the toss and opted to bat first in the T20I tri-series clash against Zimbabwe at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium here on Sunday.

Playing XIs

Zimbabwe: 1 Brian Bennett, 2 Tadiwanashe Marumani, 3 Brendan Taylor (wk), 4 Sikandar Raza (capt.), 5 Ryan Burl, 6 Tony Munyonga, 7 Tashinga Musekiwa, 8 Brad Evans, 9 Tinotenda Maposa, 10 Richard Ngarava, 11 Wellington Masakadza

Pakistan: 1. Saim Ayub, 2. Sahibzada Farhan, 3. Babar Azam, 4. Salman Ali Agha, 5. Usman Khan, 6. Fakhar Zaman, 7. Muhammad Nawaz, 8. Faheem Ashraf, 9. Mohammad Wasim, 10. Naseem Shah, 11. Usman Tariq

HEAD TO HEAD

Pakistan and Zimbabwe have faced each other 22 times in T20I cricket, with the Green Shirts emerging victorious on 19 occasions.

Catch Pakistan Tri-Series news updates here!

Pakistan have remained unbeaten in the tri-series, opening their campaign on a positive note, defeating Zimbabwe by five wickets earlier this week after successfully chasing a 148-run target in 19.2 overs.

They also defeated Sri Lanka comprehensively by seven wickets in their second fixture.

Before that, the Green Shirts, continuing their good white-ball form at home, whitewashed Sri Lanka 3-0 in the ODI series.

READ: Muthusamy ton, Jansen 93 put South Africa on top in second India Test

Senuran Muthusamy struck his first Test century and Marco Jansen hammered 93 to guide South Africa to a commanding 489 all out on day two of the second match against India on Sunday.

The left-handed Muthusamy made 109 and put on 97 runs for the eighth wicket with Jansen, who was the last wicket to fall in the final session in Guwahati.

Muthusamy praised Jansen’s knock, saying, “Marco was sublime when he came in. He’s a clean striker of the ball, and he really, really showed his skills today. So, that was an awesome treat to watch from the other end.”

Janson struck six fours and seven sixes in his 91-ball blitz before he dragged a delivery from Kuldeep Yadav onto his stumps, and the innings ended after 151.1 overs.

The hosts reached nine for no loss in 6.1 overs at stumps, trailing South Africa by 480 runs on a pitch still looking good to bat at India’s newest Test venue.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, on seven, and KL Rahul, on two, were at the crease when bad light stopped play for the day in the northeastern city where sunsets are early.

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The 6ft 8in (2.03m) Jansen frustrated the Indian attack as he hung on with numbers nine and 10 after he reached his fourth Test half-century and surpassed his previous best of 84 not out in the longer format.

Jansen’s seven hits over the fence are the joint-most in a Test innings against India. Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi hit as many during his 103 in Lahore in 2006.

Muthusamy reached his hundred in 192 balls off pace bowler Mohammed Siraj, as he punched the air and raised his bat to a standing ovation from the crowd and the dressing room.

He fell soon after the second break, but Jansen, a right-hand batter and left-arm quick, kept up the charge with Simon Harmer (5) and Keshav Maharaj, unbeaten on 12.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja ended an 88-run seventh-wicket stand after a wicketless first session when Kyle Verreynne was stumped for 45 by captain Rishabh Pant.

Kuldeep finished with four wickets with his left-arm wrist spin.

The tourists, who won the toss and elected to bat on Saturday, are in the hunt for their first series victory in India in 25 years after they won the opener of the two-match series.

Earlier, Muthusamy and Verreynne used their feet to tackle spinners in a sedate first hour of play when only 28 runs were scored, including two fours.

Muthusamy survived a scare on 48 when Jadeja had him given out lbw, but the batter’s review showed a murmur when the ball passed his glove, and the decision was overturned.

READ: Saim Ayub reaches T20I milestone against Sri Lanka

The forthcoming ODI series between Pakistan and Australia, scheduled to commence in March 2026, may be postponed, according to local media reports.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Cricket Australia (CA) are reportedly in discussions to revise the itinerary, with the white-ball matches now likely to take place after the conclusion of PSL Season 11, rather than in March as initially planned.

The series had been listed on the Future Tours Programme for 13–19 March, but reports suggest a shift is under consideration.

Meanwhile, Australia is still confirmed to tour Pakistan earlier in the year for a three-match T20I series, scheduled from 30 January to 5 February, ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.

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In a press conference held online on 3 June, Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg expressed confidence about the tour’s future, emphasising the importance of Pakistan in Australia’s cricket calendar.

“I believe it will be another good tour of Pakistan. The series against Pakistan is an important part of our schedule. There has been good communication between Pakistan and Australia regarding both red-ball and white-ball series,” Greenberg said.

He continued, underscoring the value of bilateral cricket in Pakistan:

“We need to look for more opportunities for series, which we will definitely do. We would like to play a series in Pakistan.

In 2022, we toured Pakistan after a long gap, and the tour was very successful. The Australian team received a warm welcome. It would be great if such series continue to happen.”

For the unversed, the last time Pakistan toured Australia was in November 2024, when the two sides clashed in a white-ball series.

Under Mohammad Rizwan’s leadership, Pakistan secured a landmark 2–1 ODI series win, their first in Australia since 2002. However, Australia struck back in the subsequent T20I leg, winning 3–0.

READ: Saim Ayub reaches T20I milestone against Sri Lanka

RAWALPINDI: Opening batter Saim Ayub became the ninth Pakistan player to score 1000 runs in T20Is during the T20I tri-series clash against Sri Lanka here at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

Saim came to the crease with 983 runs to his name in 50 innings and achieved the feat during the fifth over of Pakistan’s innings with a drive against Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka.

With this, he joined the likes of Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, and Shahid Afridi, hence becoming the ninth Pakistan batter to score 1000 runs in T20Is.

The 23-year-old, however, was stumped in Shanaka’s over after scoring 20 off 18 with the help of four boundaries.

Catch Pakistan Tri-Series news updates here

Nonetheless, Pakistan eased past Sri Lanka by seven wickets, courtesy of a complete all-round performance with the bat and ball.

Set only 129, Pakistan sealed victory on the third ball of the 15th over, losing just three wickets in the process.

Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub were off to a flyer, adding 47 in only five overs. Farhan remained the core aggressor while Saim milked the scoring with singles.

The partnership was broken with Saim’s wicket, who made 20 off 18 with the aid of four boundaries.

Meanwhile, Farhan continued to charge and stitched another 69-run partnership with Babar Azam, who played second fiddle in the stand.

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Eventually, Green Shirts reached the target without major hiccups, with Sri Lanka taking two more wickets in the shape of Babar Azam (16) and Salman Ali Agha for a golden duck.

Farhan top-scored with 80 off just 45 deliveries, studded with five sixes and half a dozen fours.

For Sri Lanka, Dushmantha Chameera picked up two wickets.

The fourth match of the T20I tri-series will be played tomorrow at the same venue between Pakistan and Zimbabwe.

READ: Agha hails Pakistan’s ‘complete performance’ after Sri Lanka win