ZIM vs PAK, 1st T20I: Abrar Ahmed, Sufiyan Muqeem star as Pakistan beat Zimbabwe by 57 runs, lead series 1-0

Pakistan secured a commanding 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series by defeating Zimbabwe by 57 runs in the opening game on Sunday, December 1 at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.

Opting to bat first, Pakistan posted a competitive total of 165 for four on the scoreboard. While no single player stood out, it was the collective effort of all their batters that contributed to their decent score. Tayaab Tahir was named the Player of the Match for his unbeaten 39 off 25 balls, which included four fours and a six.

Usman Khan also made a valuable contribution with 39 runs, including two fours and two sixes. Saim Ayub, fresh from his recent century, added a quick 24 off 18 balls, while Irfan Khan provided late momentum with a 27-run knock off 15 balls. Zimbabwe's Richard Ngarava, Sikandar Raza, Wellington Masakadza, and Ryan Burl each took one wicket.

Despite losing early wickets, Zimbabwe fought back with Tadiwanashe Marumani and Raza leading the charge. Marumani's aggressive 33 off a strike-rate of 165 kept them in the game, while Raza battled through a hamstring issue to score 39 off 28 balls. However, after Marumani was run out, Zimbabwe collapsed and were bowled out for 108 in 15.3 overs, losing their last eight wickets for just 31 runs in 7.2 overs.

Abrar Ahmed was the standout bowler for Pakistan, finishing with figures of 3.3-0-28-3, while the left-arm wrist spinner also made an impact with figures of 4-0-20-3. Haris Rauf took two wickets and became Pakistan’s all-time leading wicket-taker in Men’s T20Is.

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