Pakistan Beat Australia by 22 Runs in Thrilling 1st T20I in Lahore
Last night at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, cricket fans witnessed an exciting opening game of the three-match T20I series between Pakistan and Australia. In a thrilling battle under the lights, Pakistan emerged victorious by 22 runs, giving them an early lead of 1-0 in the series. This win was a much-needed confidence booster for the hosts ahead of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
👉 Watch The Full Match Highlights and Scorecard of The PAK vs AUS 1st T20 2026
Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first, aiming to set a competitive total on a good batting surface. The home team got off to a slightly shaky start as Sahibzada Farhan was dismissed for a duck, courtesy of a sharp delivery from Australia’s Xavier Bartlett. Despite the early setback, Saim Ayub and captain Salman Ali Agha put on a strong partnership, stabilizing the innings and keeping Pakistan on track. Ayub played a blistering innings of 40 runs off just 22 balls, while Agha contributed 39 from 27 deliveries with powerful hitting, including multiple sixes.
Veteran batter Babar Azam continued his fine form with a composed 24 runs off 20 balls, anchoring the middle order. However, apart from these key contributions, Pakistan’s batting saw regular wickets fall, limiting their ability to accelerate toward a bigger total. Nonetheless, they managed to post 168 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in their allotted 20 overs — a competitive score on a lively pitch.
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📊 Scorecard
Pakistan Innings – 168/8 (20 Overs)
Batter Runs Balls 4s 6s Strike Rate
Sahibzada Farhan 0 1 0 0 0.00
Saim Ayub 40 22 3 2 181.81
Salman Ali Agha (c) 39 27 1 4 144.44
Babar Azam 24 20 1 1 120.00
Fakhar Zaman 10 16 1 0 62.50
Usman Khan (wk) 18 14 2 0 128.57
Mohammad Nawaz 15 14 0 1 107.14
Shadab Khan 1 4 0 0 25.00
Shaheen Afridi 1 0 0 0 —
Salman Mirza (not out) 4 2 1 0 200.00
Extras 17 — — — —
Total: 168/8 (20 overs)
Top Bowlers (Australia):
Adam Zampa: 4-0-24-4
Xavier Bartlett: 4-0-26-2
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Australia began their chase with intent, but Pakistan’s disciplined bowling attack ensured pressure was maintained throughout the innings. Cameron Green led the Australian batting with a fighting 36 off 31 balls, while Xavier Bartlett also made a useful contribution of 34 runs from 25 balls. 🇦🇺 Despite these efforts, wickets fell at regular intervals, and Australia couldn’t build a substantial partnership to threaten the target.
Australia finished at 146/8 in their 20 overs, falling short by 22 runs. Pakistan’s bowlers shared the wickets, with Abrar Ahmed finishing with figures of 2-10, and Saim Ayub also contributing with key breakthroughs.
🏆 Player of the Match
⭐ Saim Ayub (Pakistan) — for his all-round performance with both bat and ball.
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This result not only gives Pakistan an early lead in the series but also sends a strong message about their readiness going into the T20 World Cup. Fans will be eager for the second T20I, where Australia will be looking to bounce back and level the series.
**#PAKvAUS #T20Cricket #PakistanCricket #CricketSeries 🇵🇰🇦🇺**