Ireland beat Pakistan in first T20I in Dublin chasing the target of 183 runs on the second-last ball of the innings in 20th over.
Pakistan team set 183 runs target for Ireland in the first T20I. Ireland won the toss and elected to field first against the Pakistan side.
Ireland chased down the target of 183 runs in the last over. Andy Balburnie played a match-winning knock of 77 runs
Abbas Afridi took two wickets while Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi and Imad Wasim one wicket each.
Pakistan scored 182 runs for 6 wickets while playing first.
Babar Azam scored 57 runs, Saim Ayub scored 45 runs, and Fakhar Zaman scored 20 runs.
Iftikhar Ahmed scored 37 runs off 15 balls.
Mohammad Rizwan was dismissed for one run only while Shadab Khan and Azam Khan made no runs.
Skipper Babar Azam scored fifty and made 57 runs during the innings.
In a pre-series press conference, Babar Azam, the Pakistani cricket captain, emphasized team cohesion over individual preferences, stating that the team's best interests will always be prioritized in terms of selecting the batting and bowling line-ups.
Azam acknowledged the importance of Gary, the coach, in understanding and implementing the team's strategy.
He indicated that the time for rotation is limited due to the imminent T20 World Cup, but they will strive to finalize the desired player combinations in the remaining matches.
Azam highlighted Haris Rauf’s positive outlook regarding his participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup, underlining the team's commitment to preparing for the tournament.
As Pakistan faces Ireland in the first T20I of their series, both teams are amidst preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Pakistan, still deliberating over their provisional squad, focuses on addressing middle-order concerns with the inclusion of players like Usman Ali and Irfan Khan Niazi. Meanwhile, Ireland, despite contractual negotiations, aims to build momentum after a recent defeat against Afghanistan.
The series serves as an opportunity for both teams to familiarize themselves ahead of the World Cup, where they are slated to face off once again, alongside India, USA, and Canada, in what promises to be a competitive group stage.
