Pakistan opened the T20I tri-series in Rawalpindi with a composed five-wicket victory over Zimbabwe, grinding out a result that wasn’t always pretty but showed maturity under pressure. Chasing 148, they recovered from a rough start before sealing the match with four balls left — a steady, confidence-building win to begin their campaign.
Zimbabwe had posted 147 for 8, a total shaped largely by Brian Bennett’s fluent 49. His innings provided the backbone of a batting effort that otherwise struggled for sustained momentum. Pakistan’s bowlers controlled the middle overs effectively; Mohammad Nawaz and Abrar Ahmed used the surface well to choke the scoring, turning what could have been a 160-plus target into something more manageable. Nawaz’s 2 for 22 stood out, while Abrar maintained the pressure with tight lines.
Pakistan’s reply began on the back foot. Early wickets in the powerplay left them wobbling at 30 for 3, exposing familiar concerns in the top order. Zimbabwe sensed an opening, hitting hard lengths and forcing Pakistan’s batters into tentative mistakes. But the game flipped once Fakhar Zaman and Usman Khan settled in. Their 61-run stand dragged Pakistan out of trouble — Fakhar mixing his typical aggression with restraint, and Usman playing the stabilizer’s role.
Fakhar’s 44 off 32 gave Pakistan just enough momentum to stay ahead of the required rate, and when he fell, the chase was finely poised. That’s when Nawaz stepped up again, this time with the bat. His unbeaten 20 from 12 balls, including a timely six that broke Zimbabwe’s control, sealed both the match and his claim as the standout performer. Usman stayed calm at the other end, closing with an assured 37 not out.
For Zimbabwe, there were positives — disciplined new-ball bowling, Bennett’s maturity with the bat, and moments where they genuinely threatened a surprise. But they couldn’t sustain the pressure once Pakistan’s middle order took control. Pakistan, on the other hand, will view this as the ideal start: tested, pushed, but ultimately steady enough to get the job done.
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