Pakistan defeated Oman by 93 runs in their Asia Cup 2025 opener
Muhammad Haris scored 66 runs, guiding Pakistan to a total of 161
Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Nawaz contributed crucial runs
Pakistan's bowlers excelled, taking six wickets in five overs
Pakistan's Asia Cup campaign started with a bang after they thrashed Oman by 93 runs in their opening game in Group A.
Muhammad Haris' 66 from 43 deliveries saw Pakistan set Oman a target of 161 for victory, but a flurry of brilliant bowling displays firmly stopped them in their tracks.
Oman made a flying start after dismissing Saim Ayub (0) inside the first over, with Sahibzada Farhan's 29 steadying the ship before he was caught and bowled by Aamir Kaleem.
But Haris injected some impetus into Pakistan's innings, helping his team average nearly eight runs an over before Kaleem struck for the second of his three wickets.
Haris' dismissal sparked a barren spell with the bat as Salman Ali Agha (0) and Hassan Nawaz (nine) fell in quick succession, but Oman were unable to take full advantage.
Fakhar Zaman (23) and Mohammad Nawaz (19) got Pakistan past the 150 mark, but they made a blistering start with the ball in hand at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Oman openers Jatinder Singh (one) and Aamir Kaleem (13) fell victim to Saim Ayub (2-8) inside the first four overs, before Mohammad Nadeem (three) quickly followed.
Sufyan Moqim and Faheem Ashraf both chipped in with wickets during a spell that saw six Oman wickets fall in just five overs, with Abrar Ahmed ensuring all of Pakistan's bowlers claimed a wicket after bowling out Shakeel Ahmad (10).
Data Debrief: Pakistan produce statement win
In what was the first meeting between the two sides in T20Is, Pakistan laid down a marker in their quest to lift their first Asia Cup title in the shortest format.
They fell short of recording the tournament's largest margin of victory by runs in the T20 format, posting the fourth-highest total, behind Afghanistan (94 against Hong Kong in 2025), India (101 against Afghanistan in 2022) and themselves (155 against Hong Kong in 2022).
And they were led by Haris' impressive knock, with his score of 66, his third-best total in T20Is, behind the 107 he managed against Bangladesh and 95 against New Zealand.
