Asia Cup 2023: Pakistan has started the Asia Cup with a big win over Nepal. The host nation defeated Nepal by 238 runs in the inaugural match of the tournament.
Batting first, Pakistan set a target of 243 runs at the loss of 6 wickets in 50 overs. Captain Babar Azam and middle-order batter Iftikhar Ahmed scored centuries.
Defeated Nepal by 238 runs
Chasing the big total, Nepal’s team could not stand against Pakistan’s bowlers for long and were all out for 104 runs in 23.4 overs. With the one-sided victory, Pakistan made a great start in the tournament by defeating Nepal by 238 runs in the very first match.
Pakistan’s biggest win in Asia Cup
With the win, Pakistan has achieved its biggest win in the Asia Cup. Earlier, India had the record for the biggest win in the Asia Cup. The men in blue had defeated Hong Kong by a huge margin of 256 runs in 2008, which is the biggest win in the Asia Cup to date.
After Babar-Iftikhar, bowlers wreaked havoc
Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat first, Captain Babar Azam scored 151 runs and Iftikhar Ahmed played brilliant innings of 109 runs. This was Babar Azam’s 19th century in ODIs, while this was Iftikhar Ahmed’s first century in ODIs.
After the batsmen, Pakistan’s bowlers wreaked havoc against Nepal. Shaheen Afridi took 2 wickets, Naseem Shah took 1 wicket, and Shadab Khan took a maximum of four wickets in 6.4 overs.
For Nepal, Sompal Kami played the highest innings of 28 runs. It was the first match of Nepal in the Asia Cup and against Pakistan as well.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2023: Pakistan sets 343 runs target for Nepal; Babar hits century
