Pakistan’s T20 captain, Agha Salman, achieved a historic milestone, registering the highest individual score by a Pakistani skipper against Afghanistan in T20 internationals. His unbeaten 53 runs from 36 deliveries, including three boundaries and three maximums, propelled Pakistan to a convincing 39-run victory in the tri-nation series opener in Sharjah.

Salman’s performance eclipsed Babar Azam’s previous record of 51 runs set during the 2021 T20 World Cup and Mohammad Hafeez’s 42 in 2013. Pakistan set a target of 183 runs, ultimately dismissing Afghanistan for 143 in under 20 overs. Rashid Khan led the Afghan batting effort with 39, supported by Rahmanullah Gurbaz (38) and Sediqullah Atal (23).

Haris Rauf spearheaded the Pakistani bowling attack, capturing four wickets. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Nawaz, and Sufiyan Muqeem each secured two wickets. Earlier, Pakistan reached 182/7, thanks to Salman’s pivotal half-century, along with contributions from Sahibzada Farhan (21), Mohammad Nawaz (21), Fakhar Zaman (20), and other batsmen reaching double figures.

Fareed Ahmad claimed two wickets for Afghanistan, while Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Mohammad Nabi, and Azmatullah Omarzai each took one.