Babar Azam Equals Virat Kohli With Another T20I Half-Century: Pakistan Beat Zimbabwe By 69 Runs To Reach Final
Pakistan continued their strong run in the ongoing T20 series as they defeated Zimbabwe by 69 runs to book their place in the final. The match was highlighted by captain Babar Azam’s brilliant half-century, which brought him on par with Virat Kohli for the most 50+ scores in T20 Internationals. Along with Babar’s knock, Usman took a historic hat-trick, helping Pakistan dominate the game from start to finish.
Match Summary
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Match: Pakistan vs Zimbabwe
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Result: Pakistan won by 69 runs
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Venue: Harare
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Achievement: Babar Azam equals Virat Kohli’s record of most T20I fifties
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Highlight: Usman’s hat-trick
Pakistan’s Innings
Pakistan batted first and scored a strong total of 185/5 in 20 overs. Captain Babar Azam played a classy knock of 73 runs off 48 balls, hitting elegant boundaries and maintaining the innings with patience and control. His innings was an example of timing, placement, and quick running between the wickets.
Other contributions included:
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Mohammad Rizwan – 31 runs
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Shadab Khan – 21 runs
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Iftikhar Ahmed – 27 not out
Their performances helped Pakistan set a challenging score for Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe’s Chase
Zimbabwe struggled from the beginning of their chase. Pakistan’s bowlers kept tight lines and did not allow Zimbabwe to settle. The turning point came when Usman picked up a brilliant hat-trick, dismissing three batsmen in three consecutive deliveries. This broke Zimbabwe’s momentum and pushed them into trouble.
Zimbabwe were bowled out for 116 runs in 19 overs, falling short by 69 runs.
Top Zimbabwe scorers:
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Sikandar Raza – 28 runs
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Madhevere – 22 runs
The batting lineup could not build partnerships and fell against Pakistan’s disciplined attack.
Key Points
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Babar Azam scored another T20I half-century, equaling Virat Kohli’s record for most 50+ scores in T20 Internationals.
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Pakistan scored 185/5, with strong contributions from the middle order.
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Usman took a hat-trick, becoming the key bowler of the match.
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Zimbabwe were restricted to 116 all out, giving Pakistan a comfortable win.
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With this victory, Pakistan reached the final of the series with great confidence.
