Pakistan join India in Asia Cup 2025 Super 4: Stats
What's the story
Pakistan defeated the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by 41 runs in their final group stage match of the Men's T20 Asia Cup 2025. The victory not only secures a place in the Super Four but also sets up a highly-anticipated rematch against India on Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium. Shaheen Afridi's unbeaten knock of 29 and an impressive bowling display helped Pakistan clinch this decisive win. Here are further details.
Match details
Pakistan post a below-par total
Pakistan's innings got off to a rough start with Saim Ayub dismissed for a duck and Sahibzada Farhan falling soon after. Fakhar Zaman (50) and captain Salman Agha (20) tried to steady the ship but wickets kept falling at regular intervals. Shaheen Afridi's late hitting was crucial, remaining unbeaten on 29 as Pakistan posted a defendable total of 146/9 in their allotted overs.
Bowling stars
Junaid Siddique takes 4 wickets for UAE
Junaid Siddique was the star with the ball for UAE, taking four wickets for 18 runs from his 4 overs. Indian born Simranjeet Singh also chipped in with three wickets. He conceded 26 runs from 4 overs. Dhruv Parashar bagged 1/18 whereas Muhammad Rohid Khan and Haider Ali went wicketless.
Bowling brilliance
UAE fall well short of the target
In reply, UAE opted for a cautious approach to avoid another low total. However, their slow scoring made the target unrealistic. Rahul Chopra (35) and Dhruv Parashar (20) added 48 runs for the fourth wicket but it wasn't enough. Pakistan's bowlers kept things in check as UAE crumbled from 85/3 after 14 overs to be all out for just 105 runs in 17.4 overs. Shaheen, Haris Rauf and Abrar Ahmed picked two wickets each.
Ayub
Saim Ayub records his 3rd successive duck
Pakistan opener Ayub recorded his 3rd successive duck in the Men's T20 Asia Cup 2025. Ayub started with a first-ball duck against Oman and then fell for a first-ball duck against India. On Wednesday vs UAE, he perished for a two-ball duck. This is now his 4th duck in his last six innings in T20Is. Playing his 44th T20I, Ayub now owns 8 ducks from 42 innings.
Fakhar
Fakhar Zaman surpasses 8,000 runs in T20 cricket:
Pakistan batter Fakhar attained a milestone of 8,000 runs in the 20-over format. The versatile southpaw hit 50 runs versus UAE. Fakhar scored 50 runs from 36 balls with the help of two fours and three sixes. In 303 T20s, he has raced to 8,017 runs from 293 innings at 28.53. This was his 55th T20 fifty (100s: 3), as per ESPNcricinfo. He has raced to 315 sixes and the batter is also close to completing 800 fours (798).
Information
13th T20I fifty for Fakhar
In 105 T20Is (97 innings), he has got to 2,194 runs at 23.84. This was his 13th fifty in T20Is. Against UAE, he has 133 runs from three matches at 66.50.
Junaid
Junaid Siddique breaks Bhuvneshwar Kumar's long-standing T20I record
Siddique shattered a long-standing record held by India's Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Siddique achieved the best bowling figures in Men's T20 Asia Cup against Pakistan. He clocked 4/18 from his 4 overs. Earlier, Bhuvi held the record, taking 4/26 in an India vs Pakistan clash in the 2022 edition of the tournament. Overall, he is the 3rd bowler to take a four-wicket haul against Pakistan in the T20 Asia Cup.
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109 wickets for the UAE pacer
Playing his 78th match, Siddique has raced to 109 T20I wickets. He holds an average of 20.39. This was his 5th four-wicket haul in T20Is.
PAK
Key numbers of Shaheen, Rauf and Abrar
Shaheen bagged 2/16 from three overs. He now owns 111 wickets from 88 T20Is at 22.09. In Dubai, he has raced to 13 T20I wickets at 15.53. Rauf bagged 2/19 from 2.4 overs. In 90 games, he has 126 wickets at 21.11. Overall in T20s, he owns 334 scalps from 249 matches at 22.26. Spinner Abrar bagged 2/13 from his 4 overs. He owns 26 scalps from 18 T20I matches for Pakistan at 16.46.
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Pakistan move into Super 4
Pakistan joined India in the Super 4 stage. India, who have a game in hand against Oman, own 4 points and an NRR of +4.793 from two games. Pakistan finished their group with 4 points from three matches.