Oman Bowlers Shine as Pakistan Scores 160/7 in Thrilling Asia Cup 2025 Clash
In a nail-biting start to their Asia Cup 2025 match, Pakistan’s batsmen struggled against Oman’s sharp bowling attack at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday. Oman stars Shah Faisal and Aamir Kaleem led the charge, bundling out Pakistan for just 160 runs with seven wickets down in 20 overs. This sets up an exciting chase, with Oman needing 161 to pull off a stunning upset.
Pakistan captain Salman Agha won the toss and chose to bat first, hoping for a solid platform. Openers Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub strode out, but things went wrong right away. On the second ball of the innings, Saim Ayub fell for a duck, leaving Pakistan at 0/1 and the crowd stunned.
Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris then joined Farhan, and for the first few overs, Oman’s bowlers dominated. Pakistan’s batters struggled to connect, barely laying bat on ball. But Haris turned the tide, launching a fierce counter-attack. He smashed a boundary off Mohammed Nadeem to help Pakistan reach 50 in the seventh over.
Haris kept the momentum going and notched up a quick fifty with a massive six off Sufyan Mehmood in the 10th over. At that point, Pakistan looked set for a bigger total. But disaster struck soon after. In the 11th over, with the score on 89, Farhan departed for 29, caught off Aamir Kaleem’s bowling. Fakhar Zaman walked in next to steady the ship.
Pakistan hit their hundred in the 13th over, thanks to a single from Fakhar off Kaleem. But the over turned chaotic – Haris (66) and captain Agha (0) both fell on the last two balls, leaving Pakistan reeling at 102/4. Hasan Nawaz then partnered Fakhar, but the pressure mounted.
At 125, Shah Faisal struck again, dismissing Nawaz for 9 to claim the fifth wicket. Mohammad Nawaz came in and added some runs, but Faisal wasn’t done. In the 19th over, with the score at 148, he removed Mohammad Nawaz for 19, picking up his third scalp.
The final over, bowled by Nadeem, brought 12 runs but another blow – Faheem Ashraf’s wicket. Pakistan finished at 160/7, with Haris’ 66 the standout knock.
Oman’s bowlers were on fire. Shah Faisal grabbed 3/34 in four overs, while Aamir Kaleem took 3/31 in the same. Nadeem chipped in with 1/23 in three overs. Now, all eyes on Oman’s chase in this high-stakes Asia Cup 2025 encounter.
Brief Scores: Pakistan 160/7 in 20 overs (Mohammad Haris 66, Sahibzada Farhan 29; Aamir Kaleem 3/31, Shah Faisal 3/34) vs Oman.
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