Sikandar Raza Fights Alone Against Pakistan as Zimbabwe Falls Short

After clinching the ODI series, Pakistan started their T20 series against Zimbabwe with a convincing victory. In the first match of the three-game series, Pakistan defeated Zimbabwe by 57 runs. Batting first, Pakistan posted 165 for 4 in their 20 overs, while Zimbabwe could only muster 108 in reply, thanks to the dominance of Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem.

At the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, Pakistan opted to bat first after winning the toss. Openers Omair Yousuf and Saim Ayub scored 16 and 24 runs, respectively. The top scorers for Pakistan were Usman Khan and Tayyab Tahir, both making 39 runs. A quickfire cameo by Irfan Khan, who scored 27 off 15 balls, propelled Pakistan to a competitive total of 165 for 4.

For Zimbabwe, Richard Ngarava, Sikandar Raza, Wellington Masakadza, and Ryan Burl each took one wicket.

Chasing a target of 166, Zimbabwe's innings started poorly as Brian Bennett and Dion Myers both departed for 6 runs each. Tadiwanashe Marumani and Sikandar Raza tried to stabilize the innings with a partnership of 59 runs in the powerplay, taking Zimbabwe to 60 for 2 after 6 overs.

However, the breakthrough came when Marumani was dismissed for 33 off 33 balls. Raza contributed 39 off 28 deliveries, but after his departure, Zimbabwe's innings collapsed. From 87 for 4, they lost their remaining six wickets for just 21 runs, getting bowled out for 108 in 15.3 overs.

Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem took three wickets each, while Haris Rauf picked up two wickets. With his performance, Haris Rauf became Pakistan's leading wicket-taker in T20Is.

Pakistan now leads the series 1-0, setting the stage for an exciting contest in the remaining matches.