• Pakistan defeated Nepal by a comprehensive margin of 238-run in the opening match of Asia Cup 2023.

  • Babar Azam was adjudged 'Player of the Match' for his sensational 151-run knock.

Twitter reactions: Babar Azam and Iftikhar Ahmed’s sensational tons propel Pakistan to a convincing victory over Nepal – Asia Cup 2023
Babar Azam, Iftikhar Ahmed and Pakistan team (Image Source: Twitter)

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Pakistan displayed a dominant performance in the opening match of the Asia Cup 2023 held at the Multan Cricket Stadium and defeated Nepal by a staggering 238-run margin.

Babar Azam and Iftikhar Ahmed guide Pakistan to a mammoth total

Winning the toss and opting to bat, Pakistan set a formidable target by amassing a total of 342/6 in their allotted 50 overs. Babar Azam led from the front for the Green Team with a sensational knock of 151 runs off 131 deliveries, comprising 14 fours and four sixes. He was well-supported by Iftikhar Ahmed, who played a scintillating innings of 109 runs off 71 balls, including 11 fours and four sixes. Mohammad Rizwan contributed 44 runs, while Fakhar Zaman and Imam ul Haq also made valuable contributions to the total. Pakistan’s innings showcased a blend of controlled batting and aggressive strokeplay.

Also READ: Asia Cup makes a glorious return to Pakistan after a 15-year hiatus; marked by a spectacular opening ceremony in Multan

Nepal’s bowlers struggled to contain the Pakistani batters. Sompal Kami and Sandeep Lamichhane managed to take a wicket each, but they found it difficult to stem the flow of runs. The other bowlers, including Karan KC and Lalit Rajbanshi, also faced challenges in curtailing the Pakistani onslaught.

Shadab Khan dismantles Nepal’s batting line-up

Chasing a daunting target of 343 runs, Nepal faltered in their innings and were bowled out for just 104 runs in 23.4 overs. Aarif Sheikh was the top scorer for Nepal with 26 runs, while Sompal Kami contributed 28 runs. However, the rest of the batting line-up struggled against Pakistan’s disciplined bowling attack. Shadab Khan emerged as the star bowler for Pakistan, claiming four wickets for 27 runs in 6.4 overs. Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf both grabbed two scalps each, while Naseem Shah and Mohammad Nawaz also chipped in with wickets. Babar Azam was adjudged ‘Player of the Match’ for his sensational 151-run knock.

It is worth mentioning that Pakistan will now next face arch-rivals India at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on September 2.

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

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VISHWANATH HARIHARAN
Vishwanath Hariharan is Content Strategist at CricketTimes.com. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. From breaking news stories to in-depth features and opinion pieces, he has covered a wide range of topics. Vishwanath is very fond of watching cricket. Like many others, he too grew up watching, playing, and imitating his favourite players of the game. MS Dhoni is like a demigod to him. You can connect with him at vishwanath.hariharan@crickettimes.com and follow him on Twitter & Linkedin.