All-round Pakistan hammer Nepal in Asia Cup 2023: Key stats
Pakistan beat Nepal in match number one at the Asia Cup 2023 on Wednesday in Multan and get to two points in Group A. Opting to bat, Pakistan rode on Babar Azam's 151 and Ifthikar Ahmed's 109* to post a mammoth 342/6 in 50 overs. Sompal Kami (2/85) was the pick of the Nepal bowlers. In response, Pakistani bowlers got the job done (104/10).
How did the match pan out?
Pakistan lost both their openers cheaply before Babar and Mohammad Rizwan added an 86-run stand for the third wicket. Rizwan and Afgh Salman departed in quick succession thereafter before Babar got support from Ifthikar. A record-breaking 214-run stand followed thereafter. Ifthikar's brilliance helped Pakistan to a solid score. In response, Nepal lost early wickets and were never in the match.
1,500 ODI runs for Rizwan
Rizwan scored 44 from 50 balls, racing past 1,500 runs in ODI cricket. Rizwan has got to 1,542 runs at an average of 34.26. As a designated keeper, Rizwan has raced to 1,135 runs in 41 ODIs at an average of 35-plus. Only Kamran Akmal (3,168), Moin Khan (3,100), Sarfaraz Ahmed (2,315), and Rashid Latif (1,709) have mustered more ODI runs as Pakistan keeper.
Babar Azam becomes the fastest to 19 ODI centuries
Babar slammed 151 from 131 balls, slamming 14 fours and four sixes. He has now become the fastest to 19 centuries in ODI cricket. The Pakistan skipper reached this landmark in his 102nd innings. The 28-year-old broke the record of the former South African batter Hashim Amla, who slammed 19 tons in 104 innings. Virat Kohli took 124 innings for this milestone.
31st international ton for Babar
Babar has the second-most centuries for Pakistan in ODI cricket. He is only behind legend Saeed Anwar, the only Pakistan batter with 20 or more ODI tons (20). In terms of international centuries, Babar (31) has equaled Javed Miandad and Anwar among Pakistani players. The trio now has the joint third-most centuries for Pakistan across formats.
Highest score by a captain in Asia Cup
Babar now has the highest score by a captain in the Asia Cup (ODIs). He broke the record of Kohli, who slammed 136 against Bangladesh while leading India in the 2014 edition. Babar posted the second-highest score by a player in the Asia Cup and is the second after Kohli (183) to surpass 150 runs in an innings. He posted Pakistan's highest individual score.
A record partnership for the fifth wicket
Together, Babar and Iftikhar Ahmed added 214 runs for the fifth wicket, which set the tone of Pakistan's innings. This is now the highest partnership for Pakistan for the fifth wicket in ODI cricket, surpassing Younis Khan and Umar Akmal (176 vs Sri Lanka).
Iftikhar Ahmed slams his maiden ODI century
Iftikhar returned unbeaten on 109 off 71 balls. The right-handed batter hammered 11 fours and 4 sixes in his innings. He had a staggering strike rate of 153.52. Iftikhar has now raced past 400 runs (402) in 15 ODIs and averages 50.25. The tally includes a strike rate of 106.34. Iftikhar's average improved to 86.75 in ODIs at home (in Pakistan).
Shadab leads Pakistan's charge with the ball
Shaheen Afridi claimed 2/27 from five overs. He now has 78 scalps at 23.08. Naseem Shah claimed 1/17 and has raced to 26 scalps at 16.15. Haris Rauf claimed 2/16 from five overs. He has raced to 46 scalps at 25.76. Shadab Khan claimed a four-fer (4/27). He now has 81 scalps, scalping his fifth four-wicket haul.
