KATHMANDU: Ireland registered their first win in men’s T20Is over Pakistan in the first clash of the three-match series.
Former Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie’s impressive 77 at the top of the order paved the way for the hosts to clinch a memorable win.
This encounter marked the first T20I meeting between Ireland and Pakistan in fifteen years, the previous coming in the 2009 Men’s T20 World Cup.
Ireland, chasing a target of 183, faced early setbacks during the Powerplay, losing two crucial wickets: Paul Stirling for 8(5) and Lorcan Tucker for 4(7) in the second and fifth over, respectively.
The third-wicket partnership between Balbirnie and Harry Tector proved to be the turning point. The duo added 77 off 52 balls to make the equation – 79 runs needed in 43 balls.
Tector’s dismissal for 36 off 27 balls in the 13th over by Imad Wasim posed a brief challenge.
However, Balbirnie, along with George Dockrell, turned the tide, unleashing a flurry of boundaries against Shadab Khan, amassing 23 runs in the over.
With 40 runs required from four overs, Ireland faced a tense finale. Although Dockrell fell in the 17th over, the hosts managed to maintain the required run rate, scoring 10 runs in the over.
Naseem Shah conceded 11 runs in the 18th over, leaving Ireland needing 19 runs from 12 balls.
Bowling the penultimate over, Shaheen Afridi brought Pakistan back into the game with the wicket of Balbirnie – shattering his stumps – while conceding only eight.
Ultimately, Curtis Campher emerged as the hero for Ireland, scoring the required 11 runs in the final over, with two boundaries, securing victory with one ball to spare.
Earlier, Ireland asked Pakistan to bat first. Pakistan were off to a slow start, scoring 38 runs in the Powerplay and losing the key wicket of Mohammad Rizwan.
Babar Azam and Saim Ayub built a solid partnership of 85 runs off 57 balls, laying the foundation for a big score. Ayub fell five runs shy of his half-century, dismissed by Gareth Delany.
Babar Azam reached his fifty off 39 deliveries, but his dismissal in the 15th over triggered a collapse, with Azam Khan and Shadab Khan departing for ducks in quick succession.
A blistering cameo by Iftikhar Ahmed, scoring 37 runs off 15 balls, including three sixes and as many fours, propelled Pakistan to a competitive total of 182/6 in their 20 overs with support from Shaheen who added 14 runs in 8 balls at the other end.
Both teams are set to compete in Group A of the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the USA. They will face each other in the tournament on 16 June, Sunday, in Florida.
Along with Pakistan and Ireland, Group A of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 also includes co-hosts USA, India, as well as Canada, who are making their first appearance at the event.
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