7-Wicket Victory
Pakistan clinched a resounding 7-wicket victory over Bangladesh at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, keeping their World Cup hopes alive. Shaheen Afridi’s early breakthroughs and a remarkable batting performance by Fakhar Zaman secured Pakistan’s easy win in their ICC World Cup 2023 match.
Pakistan comfortably chased down the modest target of 205, securing a seven-wicket victory with 105 balls to spare. Pakistan’s openers, Fakhar Zaman and Abdullah Shafique, set the stage with a dominant 128-run partnership, both achieving half-centuries.
Abdullah, reaching the milestone first, was dismissed by Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the 22nd over after scoring 68 from 69 deliveries, featuring nine boundaries and two sixes.
Babar Azam briefly joined Fakhar, contributing to a 32-run partnership before falling to Miraz after adding just nine runs. In the very next over, Miraz claimed the crucial wicket of Fakhar Zaman, who narrowly missed a century but top-scored for Pakistan with a blistering 81 off 74 balls, including three boundaries and seven sixes.
Following Fakhar’s departure, Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed built a 35-run partnership, ensuring a smooth chase. Mohammad Rizwan remained unbeaten with 26 runs from 21 balls, while Iftikhar scored 17 off 15 balls.
This comfortable seven-wicket win elevated Pakistan to fifth place in the ICC World Cup 2023 standings with six points from seven matches.
Bangladesh, choosing to bat first, struggled as their batting lineup crumbled and they were bowled out for 204 in the 46th over, despite Mahmudullah’s half-century.
Pakistan’s ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, in tandem with Haris Rauf, dismantled Bangladesh’s top order, reducing them to 23/3 within six overs. Litton Das and Mahmudullah then anchored the innings with a resilient fourth-wicket partnership, adding 79 runs before Iftikhar Ahmed removed Das in the 21st over, halting Bangladesh’s progress.
