Sports
First ODI: Rizwan, Agha lead Pakistan to two-wicket win against South Africa – SUCH TV
Pakistan defeated South Africa by two wickets following Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha’s fifties to chase down a 264-run target in the first ODI at the Iqbal Cricket Stadium, Faisalabad, on Tuesday.
Chasing a modest 264-run target, the home side were made to do hard yards by South Africa’s bowling attack as they knocked the winning runs with just two balls to spare, while losing eight wickets in the process.
Pakistan got off to a solid start to the pursuit, courtesy of an 87-run opening partnership between Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman.
Right-arm spinner Donovan Ferreira inspired South Africa’s comeback by dismissing both the openers in his successive overs as Pakistan slipped to 102/2 in 17.3 overs.
Saim scored 39 off 42 deliveries with the help of four sixes and a six, while Fakhar smashed six boundaries, including two sixes, on his way to a 57-ball 45.
Pakistan then suffered another setback to their pursuit as star batter Babar Azam fell victim to Bjorn Fortuin in the 20th over after scoring a mere seven off 12 deliveries.
With the scoreboard reading 105/3 in 19.5 overs, middle-order batters Rizwan and Agha launched an astounding recovery by knitting an important 91-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
During their partnership, Pakistan were looking set to clinch the victory comfortably, but Rizwan’s dismissal off Corbin Bosch in the 39th over caused a stir in their run chase.
Following his dismissal, the Green Shirts lost three more wickets at an alarming rate, including that of another set batter, Agha, and consequently slipped to 252/7 in 48 overs, needing a further 12 runs from as many deliveries.
Agha remained the top-scorer for Pakistan with 62 off 71 deliveries, studded with seven fours and a six, while Rizwan made a 74-ball 55, featuring six fours.
Following the middle-order collapse, all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz took the reins of Pakistan’s pursuit and scored a run-a-ball nine.
The left-handed batter, however, perished on the third delivery of the final over, with one run still required.
Incoming batter Naseem Shah survived an lbw scare off Bosch and ran the decisive run to steer Pakistan over the line.
For South Africa, Bosch, Ferreira and Lungi Ngidi took two wickets each, while George Linde and Fortuin chipped in with one apiece.
Pakistan’s newly-appointed captain, Shaheen Shah Afridi, won the toss and put the visitors into bat. His decision proved beneficial as the Proteas could only manage 263 before being bowled out in 49.1 overs.
South Africa, however, had a contrasting start to their innings as their openers Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Quinton de Kock registered a 98-run stand.
Saim Ayub provided the home side with a much-needed breakthrough in the 16th over, dismissing Pretorius, who made a 60-ball 57, laced with seven fours and a six.
De Kock was then involved in a brief 43-run partnership for the second with Tony de Zorzi before both perished in the span of six deliveries, bringing the total down to 147/3 in 27.4 overs.
The 32-year-old opener remained the top-scorer for South Africa with 63 off 71 deliveries with the help of six fours and two sixes.
Following the back-to-back setbacks, skipper Matthew Breetzke and debutant Sinethemba Qeshile (22) briefly stabilised South Africa’s batting charge with a 44-run partnership for the fourth wicket, but Mohammad Nawaz denied the visitors a comeback by dismissing the latter in the 34th over.
Qeshile’s dismissal sparked a match-defining collapse, which saw South Africa lose four more wickets – including that of their captain Breetzke – and consequently slipped to 228/8 in 43.2 overs.
Breetzke made a notable contribution to South Africa’s total with a 54-ball 42, featuring two sixes and as many fours.
All-rounder Corbin Bosch then added valuable runs at the backend for the touring side with a gutsy 41 off 40 deliveries before falling victim to skipper Shaheen in the penultimate over.
Abrar Ahmed and Naseem jointly led Pakistan’s bowling charge with three wickets each, followed by Saim with two, while Nawaz and Shaheen chipped in with one apiece.
Pakistan have elected to field first against India in the 27th match of the Men’s T20 World Cup in Colombo on Sunday.
According to details surfaced on Sunday, the Green Shirts will look to continue the momentum, they got after thumping Netherlands and USA.
Pakistan XI: Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (capt), Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Tariq, Abrar Ahmed
India XI: Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah
Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has criticised the defending champions over the recent “no-handshake” controversy involving Pakistan during the ACC Men’s Asia Cup, terming the gesture unnecessary and against the true spirit of the game.
The two Asian giants will face off in the T20 World Cup 2026 clash here on Sunday at the R Premadasa Stadium, with fans eagerly waiting to see whether the two captains shake hands.
Taking to the social media platform X, the former cricketer-turned-commentator expressed concern over what he termed an unbecoming trend that contradicts cricket’s long-standing traditions of sportsmanship.
“This ‘no shaking hands’ is such a silly thing that India has started. It’s unbecoming of a nation like ours. Either play properly within the spirit of the game or don’t play at all,” he wrote.
The absence of the customary post-match handshake has continued in recent encounters between the arch-rivals.
Players from both sides have avoided traditional interactions since their group-stage clash at the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup in Dubai last year.
The issue first drew widespread attention during that fixture when Suryakumar Yadav did not greet Agha Salman at the toss.
After India sealed victory, Suryakumar and teammate Shivam Dube walked back to the pavilion immediately after scoring the winning runs, further fuelling debate.
India and Pakistan faced each other twice more in the tournament — in the Super Four stage and the final — but handshakes were again notably absent on both occasions.
Moreover, after defeating Pakistan in the final, the Men in Blue refrained from receiving the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, who serves as Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and President of the Asian Cricket Council.
The practice has not been limited to senior men’s cricket.
Similar scenes were witnessed during their meeting at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, as well as in age-group and emerging competitions, including the ACC Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars Championship and the ACC Under-19 Asia Cup.
In the recently concluded ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026, India captain Ayush Mhatre and Pakistan skipper Farhan Yousaf also avoided shaking hands following their match, highlighting how the controversy has extended across different levels of international cricket.
The practice remained the same during the recently concluded match between Pakistan A and India A in the ACC Asia Cup Rising Stars Women’s 2026 on Sunday.
India A dominated Pakistan A in a one-sided contest at the Tardthai Cricket Ground, winning by eight wickets in the ACC Asia Cup Rising Stars Women’s 2026 on Sunday.
Chasing a modest target of 94 runs, India A overcame early jitters after losing opener Humaira Kazi on the very first delivery. Another opener, Dinesh Vrinda, was joined by Anushka Sharma, and the pair quickly stabilised the innings while maintaining an aggressive approach.
They added 79 runs for the second partnership.
Vrinda remained unbeaten on 55 off just 29 balls, smashing 12 boundaries, while Anushka contributed a crucial 24 runs before being removed.
For Pakistan, Waheeda Akhtar and Momina Riasat picked up a wicket each.
Batting first after winning the toss, Pakistan A were bundled out for just 93 after having a disastrous start, losing four wickets for just 21 runs inside the powerplay. The Green Shirts never recovered, with wickets falling at regular intervals, leaving them all out for a meager total.
Shawaal Zulfiqar top-scored with 23 runs, while Gull Rukh added 21 and Anosha Nasir contributed 17. Apart from these three, no other batter managed to reach double figures.
India A’s bowlers dominated from start to finish. Saima Thakor, Radha Yadav, and Prema Rawat each claimed two wickets, effectively dismantling Pakistan A’s lineup.
Pakistan A and India A have been placed in Group A alongside Nepal and the United Arab Emirates, and are playing their second match of the tournament. Pakistan opened their campaign with a victory over Nepal, while India suffered a surprise defeat to the UAE in their first game.
T20 World Cup Pakistan Take the Field First After Toss Victory Over India – SUCH TV
Islamabad makes registration mandatory for street Iftar arrangements
Sanjay Manjrekar criticises India over handshake row
-
Business5 days agoAye Finance IPO Day 2: GMP Remains Zero; Apply Or Not? Check Price, GMP, Financials, Recommendations
-
Tech1 week agoNew York Is the Latest State to Consider a Data Center Pause
-
Fashion5 days agoComment: Tariffs, capacity and timing reshape sourcing decisions
-
Tech5 days agoRemoving barriers to tech careers
-
Fashion5 days agoADB commits $30 mn to support MSMEs in Philippines
-
Entertainment5 days ago‘Harry Potter’ star David Thewlis doesn’t want you to ask him THIS question
-
Sports5 days agoWinter Olympics opening ceremony host sparks fury for misidentifying Mariah Carey, other blunders
-
Entertainment1 week agoPrince William worries on royal family's image: watch