Pakistan Dominates Zimbabwe to Reach Tri-Nation Series Final
Pakistan Secures Spot in Final with Impressive Victory
Rawalpindi, Pakistan - November 24: Pakistan's cricket team delivered a stellar performance, defeating Zimbabwe by 69 runs to secure their place in the final of the tri-nation series.
On Sunday, notable players including Babar Azam, opener Sahibzada Farhan, captain Salman Agha, and Usman Tariq, who achieved a hat-trick, made headlines with their remarkable feats. The upcoming match between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe will determine the second finalist, with Zimbabwe having one win and two losses, while Sri Lanka has lost both of their matches. A victory for Sri Lanka would grant them a spot in the final.
Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first. Sahibzada Farhan scored 63 runs off 41 balls, while Babar Azam contributed 74 runs from 52 balls, leading the team to a total of 195/5 in their 20 overs. Fakhar Zaman also made a significant impact with a quick 27 runs off just 10 balls.
For Zimbabwe, Sikandar Raza was the standout bowler, taking 2 wickets for 39 runs.
Babar Azam matched Virat Kohli's record for the most fifties in T20 internationals, both now holding 38 fifties. Babar has three centuries in T20Is, while Kohli has one. Babar's 41 fifty-plus scores surpass Kohli's total of 39.
Sahibzada Farhan's latest fifty marks his 16th of 2025, leading all batters this year, surpassing Austria's Karanbir Singh.
Captain Salman Agha, who remained not out on 1, set a record for the most international matches played in a single year, reaching 54 matches, surpassing Rahul Dravid's previous record of 53 in 1999.
In his 54 matches this year, Salman has amassed 1,492 runs at an average of 31.74, including two centuries and eight fifties, with a top score of 134. His best performance has been in ODIs, where he scored 667 runs in 17 matches at an average of 47.64.
Zimbabwe, chasing 196 runs, was bowled out for 126, with Ryan Burl scoring a valiant 67 runs off 49 balls. Usman Tariq was the star bowler, taking 4 wickets for just 18 runs, including a hat-trick in the 10th over.
Usman Tariq's hat-trick makes him the fourth Pakistani player to achieve this feat in T20Is, joining Faheem Ashraf, Mohammed Hasnain, and Mohammed Nawaz. He was awarded the 'Player of the Match' for his outstanding performance.