Web Desk

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s Faheem Ashraf&rsquo;s late salvo rescued Pakistan against Netherlands in Colombo on Saturday. Pakistan won their T20 opening encounter against the Dutch by 3 wickets and 3 balls remaining. &nbsp; From Pakistan Sahibzada Farhan scored 47, Saim Ayub 24, and Faheem Ashraf 29.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-6" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-6&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2020064432043487609&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard%2F&sessionId=393ffcf903aaafb51ab8d42de17b83db68fc8b42&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 899px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2020064432043487609"></iframe></div></div>From the Dutch side Aryan Dutt and Paul van Meekeren bagged two wickets each. Earlier, Pakistan restricted Netherlands to 147 in 19.5 overs, in their opening T20 World Cup encounter in Colombo. Dutch skipper Scott Edwards was the top scorer with 37 runs off 29 balls with a strike rate of 127.58. Bas de Leede contributed 30 runs off 25 deliveries, while Michael Levitt impressed with 24 runs from just 15 balls, including three boundaries and a six. Extras added three more to the total. Pakistan&rsquo;s bowlers were led by Salman Mirza, who claimed three wickets for 24 runs in 3.5 overs. Mohammad Nawaz and Abrar Ahmed and Saim Ayub picked up two wickets apiece, while Shaheen Shah Afridi chipped in with a wicket. Shadab Khan bowled economically, conceding just 26 runs in four overs. Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl first against Netherlands in their opening match of the ICC Men&rsquo;s T20 World Cup 2026, being co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

Cricket

 Netherlands innings saw Scott Edwards, the Dutch captain, lead from the front with a top score of 37 off 29 balls at a strike rate of 127.58; in reply, from Pakistan Sahibzada Farhan scored 47, Saim Ayub 24, and Faheem Ashraf 29.  

Faheem Ashraf’s late salvo rescues Pakistan against Netherlands

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s star batter Babar Azam has etched his name in the record books, becoming the leading run-scorer in Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) after overtaking India&rsquo;s Rohit Sharma. Babar achieved the milestone in his 123rd innings, amassing 4,234 runs, just ahead of Rohit&rsquo;s 4,231 scored in 151 innings. India&rsquo;s Virat Kohli sits third on the list with 4,188 runs from 117 innings.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1984324118561636419&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=a4c48a7afdc9bb96e2b40ae5282ef97a063e419f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 827px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>The former Pakistan captain reached the landmark during his team&rsquo;s nine-wicket victory over South Africa, a result that levelled the series at 1-1. Babar&rsquo;s consistency and graceful stroke play once again underlined why he is regarded among the finest batters in modern T20 cricket, boasting both a higher average and a superior strike rate than many of his contemporaries. Earlier, Pakistan&rsquo;s bowlers bundled out South Africa for 110, before Saim Ayub&rsquo;s unbeaten 71 guided the hosts to an emphatic win inside 14 overs. With the series now tied, Babar will aim to build on his record-breaking feat in the decisive third T20 as he continues to redefine batting excellence across formats. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">Most runs in T20Is </h2><div class="fr-embed"><table style="border-collapse: collapse; text-align: center; width: 100%;"><thead style="background-color: #f2f2f2;"><tr><th>No.</th><th>Player</th><th>Country</th><th>Mat</th><th>Inns</th><th>Runs</th><th>HS</th><th>Ave</th><th>SR</th><th>100</th><th>50</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">1</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">Babar Azam</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">PAK</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">130</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">123</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">4234</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">122</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">39.57</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">128.77</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">3</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">36</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>Rohit Sharma</td><td>IND</td><td>159</td><td>151</td><td>4231</td><td>121*</td><td>32.05</td><td>140.89</td><td>5</td><td>32</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>Virat Kohli</td><td>IND</td><td>125</td><td>117</td><td>4188</td><td>122*</td><td>48.69</td><td>137.04</td><td>1</td><td>38</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>Jos Buttler</td><td>ENG</td><td>144</td><td>132</td><td>3869</td><td>101*</td><td>35.49</td><td>148.97</td><td>1</td><td>28</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>Paul Stirling</td><td>IRE</td><td>153</td><td>150</td><td>3710</td><td>115*</td><td>26.69</td><td>134.86</td><td>1</td><td>24</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>Martin Guptill</td><td>NZ</td><td>122</td><td>118</td><td>3531</td><td>105</td><td>31.81</td><td>135.70</td><td>2</td><td>20</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">7</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">Mohammad Rizwan</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">PAK</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">106</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">93</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">3414</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">104*</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">47.41</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">125.37</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">1</td><td style="background-color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">30</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>David Warner</td><td>AUS</td><td>110</td><td>110</td><td>3277</td><td>100*</td><td>33.43</td><td>142.47</td><td>1</td><td>28</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>Muhammad Waseem</td><td>UAE</td><td>91</td><td>91</td><td>3184</td><td>112</td><td>37.02</td><td>151.76</td><td>3</td><td>25</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>Aaron Finch</td><td>AUS</td><td>103</td><td>103</td><td>3120</td><td>172</td><td>34.28</td><td>142.53</td><td>2</td><td>19</td></tr></tbody></table></div> Stats: Cricinfo

Achieves the milestone in his 123rd innings, amassing 4,234 runs, just ahead of Rohit’s 4,231 scored in 151 innings.

Babar Azam becomes leading run-scorer in T20Is

LAHORE: Pace bowlers Faheem Ashraf and Salman Mirza registered their best international T20 figures to guide Pakistan to a nine-wicket win over South Africa in Lahore on Friday. Ashraf grabbed 4-23 and Mirza snared 3-14 to dismiss South Africa for just 110 before opener Saim Ayub struck an unbeaten 71, helping Pakistan easily knock off the runs. The win levelled the series at 1-1 after South Africa won the first match in Rawalpindi by 55 runs on Tuesday. The third and final match is in Lahore on Saturday. Ayub&rsquo;s 38-ball burst featured six fours and five sixes, the last coming off Donovan Ferreira to seal the victory, with Babar Azam also not out on 11. Pakistan raced to 54 in the seventh over with Sahibzada Farhan smashing three sixes as he made 28 before he was trapped leg-before by Corbin Bosch. Azam became the highest run-scorer in T20 internationals, surpassing India batsman Rohit Sharma&rsquo;s total of 4,231 in 159 games. Azam now has 4,234 in 130 matches. Pakistan captain Salman Agha hopes his team can replicate their display in the series decider. &ldquo;I am happy with this win,&rdquo; said Agha. &ldquo;They outplayed us in the last game but today we bowled well up front and now I hope this good work continues in the next match.&rdquo; South African skipper Ferreira admitted the batting let his team down. &ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t give our bowlers enough to defend,&rdquo; said Ferreira. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t have much time to reflect on this so we need to put this behind and come strong tomorrow.&rdquo; South Africa, sent in to bat, were jolted two balls into their innings when Mirza bowled Reeza Hendricks for nought. Naseem Shah had Quinton de Kock caught for seven before Mirza dismissed Tony de Zorzi (seven) and Matthew Breetzke (five) in successive overs. From 23-4, Dewald Brevis and Ferreira added the highest stand of the innings of 26 before Ashraf stopped any revival with a haul of four wickets. Brevis hit three sixes in his 16-ball 25 &mdash; South Africa&rsquo;s top score &mdash; as Ferreira added 15. Ashraf&rsquo;s previous best of 4-27 was against Afghanistan in Sharjah last month while Mirza&rsquo;s best of 3-20 came against Bangladesh in Dhaka earlier this year.

Pakistan leveled the series 1-1 after Faheem Ashraf’s 4-23, Salman Mirza’s 3-14, and Saim Ayub’s unbeaten 71 led a nine-wicket win over South Africa in Lahore.

Ashraf and Mirza skittle South Africa as Pakistan win second T20

ISLAMABAD: South Africa defeated Pakistan by 55 runs in the first Twenty20 International at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, as the hosts&rsquo; batting collapsed while chasing 195.&nbsp;Chasing a target of 195, Pakistan was bowled out for just 139 runs in 18.1 overs. South Africa&#39;s Right-arm fast bowler Corbin Bosch starred with a career-best 4-14, while George Linde claimed 3-31 as Pakistan lost their last seven wickets for only 58 runs.&nbsp;Pakistani Openers Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub gave a slow start before wickets tumbled. Babar Azam, returning to T20Is, fell for a golden duck, while skipper Salman Ali Agha managed only two. Only Mohammad Nawaz showed resistance with a quick 36 off 20 balls, but the rest of the lineup offered little support.&nbsp;Earlier, sent into bat first, South Africa posted 194/9, with Reeza Hendricks anchoring the innings with a solid 60, and Linde contributing a quickfire 36. Nawaz shone with the ball, claiming 3-26, while Saim Ayub chipped in with 2-31 to help peg back the visitors after a fiery start from Quinton de Kock and debutant Tony de Zorzi.&nbsp;Despite late wickets by Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah, Pakistan&rsquo;s bowlers leaked runs at crucial stages.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Green Shirts swapped their traditional green jerseys for pink ones as the Pakistan team joined the global effort to raise awareness about breast cancer.&nbsp;The defeat leaves Pakistan facing renewed concerns over batting intent and middle-order consistency, ahead of the second T20I in Lahore on Friday.

Pakistan collapses chasing 195. Bosch (4-14) and Linde (3-31) lead attack; defeat leaves Pakistan facing renewed concerns over batting intent and middle-order consistency, ahead of the second T20I in Lahore on Friday.

South Africa defeat Pakistan by 55 runs in Rawalpindi T20 opener

Pakistan comes into this match after winning the recent tri-series in the U.A.E, while Oman is making its Asia Cup debut this year.

Articles tagged with "Babar Azam"

Faheem Ashraf’s late salvo rescues Pakistan against Netherlands

Babar Azam becomes leading run-scorer in T20Is

Ashraf and Mirza skittle South Africa as Pakistan win second T20

South Africa defeat Pakistan by 55 runs in Rawalpindi T20 opener

Pakistan win toss, elects to bat first against Oman in T20 Asia Cup opener