Pakistan Shaheens captain vows to lift trophy after dramatic victory over Nepal

Pakistan Shaheens captain Muhammad Irfan Khan has expressed his determination to lift the Top End T20 Series trophy after guiding his side to a nail-biting one-run victory against Nepal on Friday.

The Shaheens, who successfully defended 144 runs, now almost stormed into the semifinals following their fourth win of the tournament.

The encounter went down to the wire as Faisal Akram bowled a tense final over with Nepal requiring eight runs for victory.

After conceding four runs from the first two balls, Akram held his nerve as Dipendra Singh Airee, Nepal’s in-form batter, attempted an unorthodox reverse shot under pressure. The risky stroke led to his dismissal, sealing a dramatic win for the Shaheens.

Speaking in the post-match presentation, Irfan spoke about the condition in Darwin and lauded bowlers for defending a low total.

“The conditions were not easy, and we lost early wickets. We tried to play out the full 20 overs, and that effort paid off,” he said.

“Our bowlers bowled really well, which is why we won the match,” he remarked.

One question regarding the conditions, the skipper mentioned his previous outings in Australia.

“On previous tours, the conditions were different, and this year has brought a different challenge too. We always try to adapt ourselves according to the conditions,” he said.

“In Darwin, the conditions are dry; they are not the typical Australian conditions,” he further remarked.

With this, Pakistan Shaheens are on the verge of reaching the semi-finals, and Irfan Khan has vowed to win the Top End T20 series Trophy.

“We came here with the determination to take the trophy, and we’ll keep working toward that goal, said Irfan Khan.

“The crowd is very energetic, and I really enjoy it—it gives us a big boost while we are playing,” he concluded by thanking the energetic crowd.