South Africa Defeats Pakistan by 55 Runs in Opening T20I in Rawalpindi

Yolandi Botes
23m
2 min read

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The first T20I between South Africa and Pakistan in the three-match series took place on Tuesday, 28 October 2025, at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. South Africa won the match by 55 runs.

📝 Match Summary

South Africa batted first after Pakistan won the toss and chose to field. The Proteas reached a total of 194/9 in 20 overs.

Reeza Hendricks top-scored with 60 runs from 40 deliveries, including five fours and one six. Quinton de Kock made 23 off 13 balls. Tony de Zorzi added 33 off 16, and George Linde scored 36 off 22.

Dewald Brevis (9), Matthew Breetzke (1), and Donovan Ferreira (10) were dismissed cheaply. Mohammad Nawaz was Pakistan’s most successful bowler, taking 3 wickets for 26 runs in 4 overs. Saim Ayub picked up 2/31. Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed took one wicket each.

The Proteas had an opening partnership of 44 runs between De Kock and Hendricks. Hendricks and De Zorzi added 49 runs for the second wicket. After a middle-order collapse, Linde and Hendricks built a 39-run stand before both were dismissed in the final overs.

Pakistan began their chase with an opening partnership of 31 runs. Sahibzada Farhan scored 24 runs before being bowled by Lizaad Williams in the fifth over. Babar Azam was dismissed for a duck by Corbin Bosch, caught by Hendricks. Salman Agha was trapped LBW by Bosch for 2.

Saim Ayub scored 37 off 28 deliveries, with one four and four sixes. Usman Khan added 12, and Mohammad Nawaz contributed 36 off 20 balls, including four fours and two sixes. Faheem Ashraf (1), Hasan Nawaz (3), Shaheen Shah Afridi (4), and Naseem Shah (5 not out) were among the lower-order batters.

Corbin Bosch recorded his career-best T20I figures with 4 wickets for 14 runs in 4 overs. George Linde took 3 wickets for 31 runs in 3 overs. Lizaad Williams took 2 for 21, and Lungi Ngidi bowled Hasan Nawaz to finish with one wicket. Pakistan was all out for 139 in 18.1

overs.

🧢 Team Composition

South Africa:

Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Matthew Breetzke, Donovan Ferreira (c), George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Lizaad Williams, Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi

Pakistan:

Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Agha Salman (c), Usman Khan (wk), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed

South Africa is without David Miller (injured), Gerald Coetzee (injured), Kwena Maphaka (injured), Aiden Markram (rested), Tristan Stubbs (rested), Ryan Rickelton (rested), and Kagiso Rabada (rested). Donovan Ferreira is captaining the side.

Babar Azam returned to Pakistan's T20I lineup for the first time since December 2024. The remaining matches in the series are scheduled for Friday and Saturday in Lahore.