Farhan and Sadaqat Shine as Pakistan Thrash Sri Lanka in First T20I at Rawalpindi
Farhan and Sadaqat Shine as Pakistan Thrash Sri Lanka in First T20I at Rawalpindi
Pakistan took a 1-0 lead in the T20I series after chasing down Sri Lanka’s target with four wickets to spare at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday. Maaz Sadaqat and skipper Sahibzada Farhan played key roles in the win, with both batters scoring half-centuries in the opening match.
Sri Lanka managed to post 182/8 after batting first in the opening T20I, thanks largely to Udara’s contribution, as he kept the innings going until the 19th over.
Talking about the start, the visitors lost their skipper Kusal Mendis early in the Powerplay due to some fine bowling by Naseem Shah. Things got worse for them in the fourth over when debutant Muhammad Imran sent Kamil Mishara back to the pavilion for just 6 runs.
Kamindu Mendis then stepped in and teamed up with Udara to rebuild the innings. The two added 60 runs for the third wicket, helping Sri Lanka recover from their early losses.
After building a solid partnership, Sri Lanka were looking to go into the next gear, however, Saim Ayub put an end to the stand in the 10th over, removing Kamindu for 23 off 18 balls.
Following the dismissal of Mendis, the visitors suffered a middle-order collapse, as no batter could provide Udara with support at the other end. The opener played a lone hand in taking the Sri Lankan innings towards the end, scoring 91 off just 55 balls with the help of 11 fours and a six.
Set to chase a big target, Pakistan got off to a great start as Fakhar Zaman and Sahibzada Farhan played fearlessly in the Powerplay to deflate the Sri Lankan bowling attack.
Pakistan eventually lost their first wicket in the sixth over when Eshan Malinga dismissed Fakhar Zaman for 21. Maaz Sadaqat then took charge and joined Farhan in the middle to put Pakistan back in control. The two batters added 92 runs for the second wicket, with both completing their half-centuries and putting the hosts in a strong position to chase the target.
Sri Lanka finally broke the partnership in the 14th over as Theekshana trapped Sadaqat lbw. He made 50 from 29 deliveries, hitting 4 fours and 3 sixes. After his dismissal, Sri Lanka picked up two more quick wickets, however, Farhan’s consistent striking kept them on back foot.
After bringing Pakistan close to victory, Farhan finally lost his wicket in the 18th over, smashing 89 off 53 deliveries. Due to his fabulous knock, the green shirts eventually sealed the win in the penultimate over, with Khawaja Nafay remaining unbeaten at 12.
The skipper Farhan was then named Player of the Match, as his blazing knock helped Pakistan take a 1-0 lead in the series.
