133/8 (19.5)
CR : 6.71
132/7 (20.0)
CR : 6.60
Zimbabwe won by 2 wickets 🏆
Player of the Match
Brian Bennett
0/243(35)
8:18 PM IST, 4:48 PM Local Time: PHEW! Who would have thought at one point that the match would go down to the wire? The matches between these two nations are rarely one-sided contests, and this time, Zimbabwe held their nerve to secure a thrilling 2-wicket victory on the penultimate ball, avoiding a series whitewash.
Earlier, after opting to bat first, Pakistan posted 132/7 in 20 overs. Zimbabwean bowlers wreaked havoc with the new ball as they removed Sahibzada Farhan (4), Omair Yousuf (0), and Usman Khan (5) in quick succession. Agha Salman (32) and Tayyab Tahir (21) steadied the ship briefly, adding 33 runs for the fourth wicket, before debutant Tinotenda Maposa trapped Tayyab in his very first international over.
Salman was well set at the crease, but unfortunately, a major mix-up in the middle led to him being run out. Qasim Akram (20) and Abbas Afridi (15) chipped in with valuable contributions, while Arafat Minhas’ unbeaten 22 runs propelled Pakistan to post a respectable total on the board.
Blessing Muzarabani bagged a couple of wickets for the hosts, while Wellington Masakadza, Richard Ngarava, Tinotenda Maposa, and Ryan Burl celebrated one wicket each.
In pursuit of 132 runs, Zimbabwean openers came out all guns blazing as Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani pummeled the Pakistani new-ball bowlers from the outset, scoring rapidly. Skipper Agha Salman brought himself into the attack after 4 overs and it proved fruitful for the visitors as skipper trapped Marumani for 15 runs and broke the 40-run opening stand.
Bennett continued his impressive form but fell just 7 runs short of a well-deserved fifty. Dion Myers struggled to find his timing at the crease and departed cheaply, managing 13 runs off 18 deliveries.
The hosts lost a flurry of wickets in the second half of the innings, including the crucial dismissal of skipper Raza (19). With 12 runs needed off the final over and three wickets in hand, debutant Tinotenda Maposa stole the spotlight by smashing 10 runs off the first two balls. He then rotated the strike with a single on the third ball to level the score. Jahandad Khan trapped Musekiwa (7) on the fourth delivery, but Richard Ngarava ensured a single on the penultimate ball, guiding his team to a thrilling victory.
Abbas Afridi brought Pakistan back into the contest, claiming three wickets for just 24 runs. Jahandad Khan chipped in with a couple of wickets but failed to defend 12 runs in the final over. Salman Agha and Sufiyan Muqeem celebrated a solitary wicket.
Stay tuned for the post-match and series presentation....
Earlier, after opting to bat first, Pakistan posted 132/7 in 20 overs. Zimbabwean bowlers wreaked havoc with the new ball as they removed Sahibzada Farhan (4), Omair Yousuf (0), and Usman Khan (5) in quick succession. Agha Salman (32) and Tayyab Tahir (21) steadied the ship briefly, adding 33 runs for the fourth wicket, before debutant Tinotenda Maposa trapped Tayyab in his very first international over.
Salman was well set at the crease, but unfortunately, a major mix-up in the middle led to him being run out. Qasim Akram (20) and Abbas Afridi (15) chipped in with valuable contributions, while Arafat Minhas’ unbeaten 22 runs propelled Pakistan to post a respectable total on the board.
Blessing Muzarabani bagged a couple of wickets for the hosts, while Wellington Masakadza, Richard Ngarava, Tinotenda Maposa, and Ryan Burl celebrated one wicket each.
In pursuit of 132 runs, Zimbabwean openers came out all guns blazing as Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani pummeled the Pakistani new-ball bowlers from the outset, scoring rapidly. Skipper Agha Salman brought himself into the attack after 4 overs and it proved fruitful for the visitors as skipper trapped Marumani for 15 runs and broke the 40-run opening stand.
Bennett continued his impressive form but fell just 7 runs short of a well-deserved fifty. Dion Myers struggled to find his timing at the crease and departed cheaply, managing 13 runs off 18 deliveries.
The hosts lost a flurry of wickets in the second half of the innings, including the crucial dismissal of skipper Raza (19). With 12 runs needed off the final over and three wickets in hand, debutant Tinotenda Maposa stole the spotlight by smashing 10 runs off the first two balls. He then rotated the strike with a single on the third ball to level the score. Jahandad Khan trapped Musekiwa (7) on the fourth delivery, but Richard Ngarava ensured a single on the penultimate ball, guiding his team to a thrilling victory.
Abbas Afridi brought Pakistan back into the contest, claiming three wickets for just 24 runs. Jahandad Khan chipped in with a couple of wickets but failed to defend 12 runs in the final over. Salman Agha and Sufiyan Muqeem celebrated a solitary wicket.
Stay tuned for the post-match and series presentation....
Time for the post match presentation ceremony..
Player of the Match: Brian Bennett
Brian Bennett (Player of the Match): "It's nice to contribute to the team. We have got Afghanistan next week and it's nice to take some momentum into the series. It's always team first and wherever the coaches want me to bat, I am happy. We are a young team as well and we are always learning. We have a few days off and we will back at it."
Player of the Series: Sufiyan Muqeem
Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe Captain): "Yeah, we definitely wanted to win the series, but unfortunately, we couldn't. However, the desire to beat Pakistan was always there, and finishing with a win is incredibly satisfying. For me, what really stands out is how we’ve backed our youngsters throughout this tough tour. To see them step up and win us the game is truly heartwarming, and I’m incredibly grateful for this victory.
Unfortunately, we didn’t want to dwell too much on the missed opportunities, especially the first one. But there’s always another chance, and if we had stayed focused on that first game, we wouldn’t have won this one either. We needed to put that game behind us and then move past the next tough one as well. The moment you start dwelling on those losses, they stay with you. To win, you need to approach the game fresh, with a clear mind and solid plans. Today, I thought the bowling unit did a great job in restricting them to 133.
Yeah, unfortunately, these things can happen. This is the first time Tashinga has faced a Chinaman on such a difficult surface. The lesson he learns from today will certainly hold him in good stead going forward, especially with Afghanistan knocking on our door in a few days. It’s important to learn from these experiences. We’re still backing Tashinga. A few bad games here and there won’t define his career. He’s still a quality cricketer, and personally, all of us continue to back him.
You know, this is one of the best T20 sides in the world. I was reading a stat that Pakistan has played the most T20 matches in the history of the format. So, they are very experienced in this particular format. For us to beat them is incredibly important, both for our confidence and for the development of our squad moving forward. These important wins and the little lessons we learn along the way will play a key role in helping us, especially as we prepare for the qualifiers and the World Cup."
Unfortunately, we didn’t want to dwell too much on the missed opportunities, especially the first one. But there’s always another chance, and if we had stayed focused on that first game, we wouldn’t have won this one either. We needed to put that game behind us and then move past the next tough one as well. The moment you start dwelling on those losses, they stay with you. To win, you need to approach the game fresh, with a clear mind and solid plans. Today, I thought the bowling unit did a great job in restricting them to 133.
Yeah, unfortunately, these things can happen. This is the first time Tashinga has faced a Chinaman on such a difficult surface. The lesson he learns from today will certainly hold him in good stead going forward, especially with Afghanistan knocking on our door in a few days. It’s important to learn from these experiences. We’re still backing Tashinga. A few bad games here and there won’t define his career. He’s still a quality cricketer, and personally, all of us continue to back him.
You know, this is one of the best T20 sides in the world. I was reading a stat that Pakistan has played the most T20 matches in the history of the format. So, they are very experienced in this particular format. For us to beat them is incredibly important, both for our confidence and for the development of our squad moving forward. These important wins and the little lessons we learn along the way will play a key role in helping us, especially as we prepare for the qualifiers and the World Cup."
Salman Agha (Pakistan Captain): "It has been outstanding the way the youngsters have performed, I am really proud of them. I would like to score more runs obviously but I am happy with both departments today. It's been a really long tour and we are now going to South Africa, and it does not matter if we have sore legs, we will go there and try to win there as well.
They both have a long future ahead, both Sufiyan and the other one have done really well. I want to thank the Zimbabwe crowd, they have come every game and shown their support."
They both have a long future ahead, both Sufiyan and the other one have done really well. I want to thank the Zimbabwe crowd, they have come every game and shown their support."
Agha Salman and Sufiyan Muqeem collect the trophy 🏆 and the whole team joins them for the photographs.
Pakistan's tour of Zimbabwe is done and dusted, with the visitors winning both ODI and T20I series. Zimbabwe won the first and last match of the tour and managed to avoid the T20I series whitewash today. For now, this is me Deepak Prakash signing off on behalf of co-commentator Anirudh Modi and scorer/analyst Bishal Mandal. CHEERS!