Pakistan sealed the three-match T20I series 2-1 against South Africa after a thrilling four-wicket victory in the final game at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on Saturday, November 1, 2025. The win capped off a series that showcased brilliant performances from both sides.
Shaheen Afridi Gives Pakistan a Flying Start
Pakistan captain Salman Agha won the toss and elected to bowl first. Shaheen Afridi made an immediate impact, claiming the wickets of Quinton de Kock and Lhuan-dre Pretorius off the second and third deliveries of the very first over.
South Africa tried to stabilize through Reeza Hendricks and Dewald Brevis, who put together a 38-run partnership, but both struggled to accelerate, scoring at strike rates below 100. Late innings contributions from Donovan Ferreira (29 off 14) and Corbin Bosch (30 off 23)* helped the visitors post 139/9.
“𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒏’𝒔 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉,” 𝒂 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒄𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅. “𝑰𝒕 𝒈𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒖𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒚 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕.”
Babar Azam Anchors the Chase
Chasing 140, Pakistan stumbled early as Saim Ayub was dismissed for a six-ball duck in the second over. Sahibzada Farhan managed a brief 19 off 18 but fell soon after. The chase looked tricky until Babar Azam took charge.
The star batter played a composed 68 off 47 balls, forging a 76-run partnership off 51 deliveries to bring Pakistan within reach. Although Pakistan briefly faltered, slipping to 134/6 with 10 balls to spare, Usman Khan and Faheem Ashraf guided the hosts home in 19 overs, finishing with four wickets in hand.
“𝑩𝒂𝒃𝒂𝒓’𝒔 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒄𝒌 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕-𝒘𝒊𝒏 𝒈𝒂𝒎𝒆,” 𝑨𝒈𝒉𝒂 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉. “𝑯𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆.”
Records and Milestones
- Babar Azam surpassed Virat Kohli for the most 50-plus scores in T20Is with 40 half-centuries.
- Saim Ayub now holds the record for the most ducks in a calendar year (7) and for Pakistan in T20Is (10).
- Shaheen Afridi recorded his 19th three-wicket haul, placing him joint-second among T20I bowlers from full-member nations.
Player of the Match
Babar Azam was rightly named Player of the Match for his match-defining 68, which came at a strike rate of 144.68, including nine fours. His innings effectively anchored the chase and ensured Pakistan clinched the series.
What’s Next?
The two teams now turn their attention to the upcoming three-match ODI series, beginning in Faisalabad on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Fans can expect another high-stakes contest as Pakistan looks to carry momentum into the longer format.
Also Read: IPL trade buzz: Samson to DC, Tristan Stubbs set for RR move — Reports
