Published on: Aug 28, 2025 8:30 pm IST | Updated on: Sep 1, 2025 11:56 am IST
Another T20 Tri-Series is all set to cream the international circuit. Three Asian teams, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and UAE, are all set to collide in the United Arab Emirates in a Tri-Series starting on 29th August. The series will comprise 7 games, including the final, and all the fixtures will be played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah. The first game is all set to be played between two budding rivals, i.e., Afghanistan and Pakistan. In this post, we have come up with free expert tips for the 1st T20I of the tri-series between AFG vs PAK at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah.
Pakistan is playing with an inexperienced team in this tri-nation series and will have the same squad in the forthcoming Asia Cup as well. Afghanistan, on the other hand, looks quite a strong unit on paper, with most of their experienced guys featuring. Therefore, heading into this game, Afghanistan should have the upper hand, and they should believe in themselves in defeating Pakistan. Therefore, the win probability meter should favor Afghanistan. Let’s continue with the post and find out the best cricket tips for the AFG vs PAK 1st Match at Sharjah.
AFG: 57% win chance PAK: 43% win chance
In the past two T20I series, Hasan Nawaz has been the man with the bat for Pakistan. The youngster has accumulated 233 runs in his last 10 T20I games.
The Afghan opener is a prolific hitter of the white ball. He will be a key figure at the top for the Afghanistan side.
A brilliant all-rounder who is capable of batting at any order. He bowls right-arm seam-ups, making him quite a utility pick in this match.
The Aghan skipper will get really good purchase for the sluggish surface of Sharjah. Of late he has been bowling really good and has scalped 21 wickets in the last 10 T20Is.
Check out our prediction for the AFG vs PAK 1st T20I at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah.
Afghanistan isn’t a rookie anymore, particularly in T20 cricket. They have beaten almost every Test-playing nation in the shortest format of the game, sans India. Among the Test-playing nations, Pakistan is one such team against whom Afghanistan have had a great record in T20Is.
Afghanistan has won 3 of their 7 head-to-head encounters against Pakistan. They have secured all those 3 wins in their last 5 encounters against the men in green. The team will be having experience at core with an amalgamation of youth in this tri-nation series. The likes of Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqui, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz will bring tons of experience with them. On the other hand, the likes of Ibrahim Zadran, AM Ghazanfar, and Noor Ahmad will bring positivity to the setup with their agility.
This series will act as a dress rehearsal for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, which will be in T20 format this time around. Afghanistan looks a formidable side with the players they have in their arsenal and will look to dent Pakistan’s strategies in this game.
It seems like Pakistan’s team management has moved on from two of their most prolific and impressive batters, Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan. A 17-member squad has been named for this series and the upcoming Asia Cup, led by all-rounder Salman Ali Agha.
The squad without Babar, Rizwan, and pace bowler Naseem Shah looks a bit indifferent, particularly in the batting unit. This series will be crucial for Pakistan in the context of the Asia Cup, where they will have to collide against dynamic powerhouses like India and Sri Lanka. The team is in a transition phase, but this is what they have at their disposal now, and this unit needs to perform with high skills and intensity to tame a formidable opponent like Afghanistan in their tournament opener. Let’s move ahead and check the cricket tips.
Matches Played: 7 PAK won: 4 AFG won: 3 No Result: 0 RECENT form AFGHANISTAN: W L L W W RECENT form PAKISTAN: L W W L W
Pakistan and Afghanistan have had a tailored rivalry in T20 cricket. Having squared off seven times against each other, Pakistan has a slight upper hand with 4 wins to 3 in the name of Afghanistan. Their last meeting took place on October 6, 2023, in the Semifinal of the Asian Games at Hangzhou, which saw Afghanistan having the last laugh by 4 wickets.
How will the two teams, i.e., Afghanistan and Pakistan, fare in the 1st match of the tri-series? Let’s take a look.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (C), Noor Ahmad, AM Ghazanfar
Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan (WK), Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Salman Ali Agha (C), Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz/Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali/Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed
Here’s the pitch and weather report for the 1st match of the United Arab Emirates T20I Tri-Nation Series 2025 between Afghanistan and Pakistan at the Sharjah Cricket Ground, Sharjah:
With Sharjah’s short boundaries and batting-friendly surface, the toss winner is likely to bat first to exploit early grip and avoid chasing under lights when the pitch tends to slow down. Afghanistan may rely on its spin-heavy attack to defend, while Pakistan will back themselves to set a target or chase it down.
Where to Watch Today’s Match
The online live streaming of the 1st match of the United Arab Emirates T20I Tri-Nation Series 2025 will take place live on the FanCode App. There’s no live TV coverage for this series available in India.
Heading into this encounter, Pakistan will start as the favorites. Odds are in favor of Pakistan, and they will look to kick off this series on a promising note. These two factors are enough for the men in green to go in as favorites in this encounter. Therefore, as per our prediction, Pakistan is expected to win the AFG vs PAK Dream11 Prediction 1st T20I match.