Mohammad Haris made a solid 66 runs knock which set up Pakistan’s 93-run victory against Oman in the Asia Cup 2025 at Dubai International Stadium, Dubai.
Spinners played a crucial role in Pakistan’s solid start in the continental event, claiming the second spot in the Group A points table.
After choosing to bat first, Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub opened the innings for Pakistan while Shah Faisal opened the bowling attack.
With Ayub’s dismissal for duck in a lbw by Shah Faisal, Sahibzada Farhan and Haris made 47 runs in the powerplay. The duo went on to forge a solid 84-run partnership as Farhan scored 29 runs.
Zaman went on to join Haris where the latter smashed a fifty and scored 66 runs off 43 deliveries which included seven fours and 3 sixes.
Withi Haris dismissal, Pakistan lost three wickets for 102 runs in the 13th over. Salman Lost his wicket on a golden duck while Hasan Nawaz went back to dug out for 9 runs.
With Nawaz contributed 19 runs, Faheem Ashraf got dismissed for 8 runs in the final over. Afridi walked in and scored 2* runs in the final delivery and stood along with Fakhar Zaman who scored 23* runs helping the Pakistan to post 160 runs in the 20 over innings.
Shah Faisal and Aamir Kaleem bagged three wickets each while Nadeem bagged a wicket.
In the pursit of chasing 161 runs, Aamir Kaleem and Jatinder Singh opened the innings while Shaheen Afridi opened the bowling attack.
Saim Ayub got the first breakthrough dismissing Jatinder Singh for 1 run in the second over. with the dismissal of Aamir Kaleem for 13 runs, Mirza and Mohammad Nadeem went on to score 40 runs in the powerplay.
Sufiyan Muqeem bagged the wickets for Nadeem and Hammad Mirza while Mohammad Nawaz obagged the wicket sof Sufyan Mehmood.
The remaining middle order and lower order went back to dug out on cheap dismissal as Vinayak, Zikria Islam, Shah Faisal and Hassnain Shah lost their wickets on single digit scores.
Shakeel Ahmed and Samay Shrivatsava showed some resistance in the end but Oman lost the game with the dismissal of Nawaz for 19 runs.
Saim Ayub, Sufiyan Muqeem and Faheem Ashraf bagged two wickets each for Pakistan while Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed and Mohammad Nawaz bagged one wickets each.
Mohammad Haris was named as the Player of the Match. Speaking on the post match conference, Haris said, “It was very good. It was a much needed innings for me and Pakistan.”
“When we came here it (the pitch) was looking very good, very flat but the ball was not coming on and we did well to put the runs on the board. That (batting aggressively) was what I was doing for Pakistan and in the PSL, the skipper also told me to play aggressively,” concluded Mohammad Haris.
Pakistan will play their next match against their arch rivals India on September 14 at Dubai International Stadium, Dubai.
