SHARJAH - Pakistan thumped Afghanistan by 39 runs in the opening match of the T20I tri-series at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday.

Chasing a challenging 183-run target for victory, Afghanistan were all out on 143 on the penultimate ball of the innings.

Rashid Khan was the top scorer for Afghanistan with 39 runs. Rehmanullah Gurbaz contributed 38, Sediqullah Atal 23 and Darwish Rasooli 21 runs. No other batsman could enter the double figures as Afghanistan failed to play the full quota of 20 overs.

Haris Rauf took four wickets while Mohammad Nawaz, Sufiyan Muqeem and Shaheen Shah Afridi bagged two wickets each.

Batting first, the Green shirts made 182 for the loss of seven wickets. Player of the match Salman Ali Agha was the highest scorer with an unbeaten 53 of 36 balls, followed by Sahibzada Farhan and Mohammad Nawaz, who contributed 21 each.

Fakhar Zaman made, Mohammad Haris 15, Saim Ayub and Faheem Ashraf 14 each. Fareed Ahmed took two wickets and Mujeeb-ur-Rehman, Rashid Khan, Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi one each. Faheem Ashraf was run out on the last ball of the innings.

Pakistan XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Ali Agha (capt), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Haris (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem

Afghanistan XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan (capt), Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmed