JuicyTalk
Pakistan sealed their place in the Super Four of the Asia Cup 2025 after a clinical 41-run victory over the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday. The star of the night was Shaheen Afridi, who delivered with both bat and ball to guide his side through a tricky contest.
Pakistan struggle early but recover to post a competitive total
Opting to bat first after UAE won the toss and chose to bowl, Pakistan endured a shaky start. Both Sahibzada Farhan (5 off 12) and Saim Ayub (0 off 2) departed early, putting pressure on the middle order.
It was Fakhar Zaman who anchored the innings with a solid 50 off 36 balls, striking two fours and three sixes to hold Pakistan together. Contributions from Agha Salman (20 off 27) and Mohammad Haris (18 off 14) kept the scoreboard moving but failed to dominate the UAE bowlers.
The late flourish came courtesy of Shaheen Afridi, who hammered a quickfire 29 off just 14 deliveries, including three fours and two sixes, giving Pakistan a respectable total of 146/9 in 20 overs.
For UAE, Junaid Siddique was outstanding with the ball, finishing with 4/18 in his four overs, while Simranjeet Singh Kang impressed with 3/26. Their efforts restricted Pakistan from posting an even bigger score.
UAE falter in the run-chase
Chasing 147, UAE required a strong start but faltered against Pakistan’s disciplined bowling. Alishan Sharafu (12 off 8) and Waseem Muhammad (14 off 15) began briskly, but quick wickets dented the chase.
Rahul Chopra stood tall with a fighting 35 off 35 balls, while Dhruv Parashar (20 off 23) tried to steady the innings. However, the middle order collapsed under pressure, with Asif Khan, Harshit Kaushik and Junaid Siddique all failing to score.
UAE were eventually bundled out for 105 in 17.4 overs, falling well short of the target.
Pakistan’s bowling attack, led by Shaheen Afridi, proved too strong for the UAE batters. Afridi returned figures of 2/16 in three overs, complementing his explosive batting cameo earlier in the game.
He found support from Abrar Ahmed (2/13) and Haris Rauf (2/19), while Saim Ayub (1/18) and Agha Salman (1/9) chipped in with key breakthroughs. Their combined effort ensured Pakistan’s dominance throughout the innings.
Player of the Match
For his all-round brilliance, Shaheen Afridi was named Player of the Match. His crucial 29 runs down the order lifted Pakistan to a defendable score, and his early strikes with the ball derailed UAE’s hopes of chasing down the target.
With this result, Pakistan progressed to the Super Four stage of Asia Cup 2025, while UAE’s campaign came to an end.
