Leader Online Desk : Asia Cup PAKvsNEP : Pakistan has started the Asia Cup 2023 with a win. Babar’s team defeated Nepal by 238 runs in the first match of the tournament. After winning the toss and batting first, Pakistan scored 342 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in 50 overs. Captain Babar Azam scored 151 and Iftikhar Ahmed scored 109 not out. In reply, Nepal’s team was bowled out for 104 runs in 23.4 overs. Pakistan’s next match is against India on September 2, while Nepal’s next match is against India on September 4.
Pakistan’s fast bowlers Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf destroyed Nepal’s top order. Chasing 343 runs, the Nepal team lost three wickets for 14 runs. Kushal Bhurtel eight, Asif Shaikh five and skipper Rohit Paudel returned to the pavilion without opening his account. Arif Sheikh and Sompal Kami shared a 59-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Harris broke this partnership. He bowled Arif Sheikh. Sheikh was able to score 26 runs in 38 balls. After this, Haris caught Sompal with Rizwankar. He managed to score 28 runs in 46 balls. Then we saw the magic of Shadab Khan’s spin. He took four wickets and demolished Nepal’s lower order. Gulshan Jha 13, Dipendra Singh 3, Kushal Malla 6 were dismissed. Sandeep Lamichhane and Lalit Rajbanshi could not even open accounts. Shadab took four wickets from Pakistan. At the same time, Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf took two wickets each. Naseem Shah and Mohammad Nawaz got one wicket each.
Batting first, Pakistan got off to a poor start. Fakhar Zaman was dismissed for 14 runs while Imam-ul-Haq was dismissed for 5 runs. After this, Babar and Mohammad Rizwan shared a partnership of 86 runs for the third wicket. Rizwan was run out for 44 off 50 balls with the help of six fours. Agha Salman scored five runs and became the victim of Sandeep Lamichhane. After this the storm of Babur and Iftikhar was witnessed in Multan. Babar scored his 19th ODI century. He was dismissed for 151 off 131 balls with 14 fours and four sixes. At the same time, Iftikhar scored the first century of his ODI career in 67 balls. Iftikhar scored 109 runs in 71 balls with the help of 11 fours and four sixes. He remained unbeaten. Shadab remained unbeaten with four runs. Sompal Kami took two wickets for Nepal. Meanwhile, Karan KC and Lamichhane got one wicket each.
Second biggest win in Asia Cup
This is Pakistan’s biggest win in Asia Cup history. Earlier, Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by 233 runs in 2000. This is Pakistan’s third biggest win in ODI history. This team has previously defeated Ireland by 256 runs in 2016 and Zimbabwe by 244 runs in 2018. So this is the second biggest win in terms of runs in the history of Asia Cup. India holds the record for the biggest win. Team India defeated Hong Kong by 256 runs in 2008.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam scored 151 off 131 balls at Multan, while Iftikhar Ahmed contributed an unbeaten 109. The two shared a partnership of 214 runs. Mohammad Rizwan contributed 44 runs.
Babar broke Hashim Amla’s record
Babar became the fastest batsman to score 19 centuries. He has done this in 102 innings. At the same time, the captain of Pakistan. Former African cricketer Hashim Amla’s record was broken. Amla had scored 19 centuries in 104 innings.
Babar-Rizwan managed Pakistan’s innings
By the 7th over, Pakistan had lost the wickets of both the openers. Then captain Babar Azam came in to bat at number three and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan came in to bat at number four. The two shared a 75-ball half-century to spearhead Pakistan’s innings. Rizwan was run out for 44 in the 24th over and the partnership was broken. Both shared a partnership of 86 runs off 106 balls for the third wicket.
Playing XI of both teams:
Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf.
Nepal Team: Rohit Poudel (captain), Kushal Bhurtel, Arjun Saud, Asif Sheikh, Arif Sheikh, Sompal Kami, Dipendra Singh Ayre, Karan KC, Kushal Mala, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi and Gulshan Jha.
