Pakistan beat Zimbabwe by 5 wickets in tri-series opener

Pakistan defeated Zimbabwe by five wickets in the opening match of the T20I Tri-Series at Rawalpindi on Tuesday.

Zimbabwe posted 147 for eight in their 20 overs, with Brian Bennett top-scoring with 49 off 36 balls and Tadiwanashe Marumani contributing 30.

Mohammad Nawaz picked up two wickets, while Shaheen Shah Afridi, Salman Mirza, Saim Ayub and Abrar Ahmed claimed one wicket each.

In reply, Pakistan reached the target in 19.2 overs for the loss of five wickets.

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Fakhar Zaman was the top scorer with 44 off 32 balls, while Usman Khan remained unbeaten on 37 and Mohammad Nawaz scored a quick 20 not out. Saim Ayub contributed 22 runs.

Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam and Salman Agha fell cheaply, but Pakistan’s lower middle order ensured a comfortable chase with four balls to spare.

Brad Evans and Richard Ngarava took two wickets each for Zimbabwe, while Maposa, Evans and Ngarava shared the remaining dismissals.

The victory gives Pakistan an early boost in the tri-series. Sri Lanka will take on Zimbabwe in the next match, scheduled for Thursday, November 20.