South Africa defeated Pakistan by 55 runs in the first T20I, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The match, played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, saw the national team all out for 139 runs in 18.1 overs while chasing a target of 195 runs.
For Pakistan, Saim Ayub top-scored with 37 runs, and Babar Azam contributed 36 runs. Captain Salman Ali Agha managed only 2 runs, Usman Khan scored 12, and Hasan Ali was dismissed for just 3 runs.
South Africa’s bowlers delivered an impressive performance, with Corbin Bush claiming 4 wickets, George Linde taking 3, and Lizad Williams adding 2 wickets to their tally.
Earlier, the visiting team batted first and scored 194 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Reeza Hendricks was the standout performer with 60 runs, while George scored 36 and Tony de Zorzi contributed 33 runs. Quinton de Kock was out for 23, dismissed by Saim Ayub.
For Pakistan, Mohammad Nawaz took 3 wickets, Saim Ayub claimed 2, and Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Abrar Ahmed each took one wicket.
With this victory, South Africa also set a record for the highest total by any team in Pindi. Previously, New Zealand had scored 194 runs for the loss of 4 wickets in April 2023.
The two teams have faced each other 24 times before, with each side winning 12 matches, indicating a level playing field in this format. The Proteas are playing a T20 series in Pakistan for the first time since 2021, and both teams have practiced extensively for the series.
Pakistan’s star batsman Babar Azam is making his comeback to the T20 format after a 10-month absence. He has the opportunity to become the all-time number one batsman in T20 cricket by scoring just 9 more runs.
Read also: Babar, De Kock come back as Pak-South Africa T20 series to commence today
