Lahore, Oct 31, 2025 — A searing new-ball burst from Salman Mirza and a sparkling chase from Saim Ayub powered Pakistan to a nine-wicket win over South Africa, squaring the Pakistan versus South Africa T20I series 1–1 and setting up a blockbuster decider less than 24 hours later.
Match summary — Pakistan vs South Africa, 2nd T20I (Lahore)
South Africa: 110 all out (19.4 ov)
• Dewald Brevis 25 (16)
• Faheem Ashraf 4/23, Salman Mirza 3/14, Naseem Shah early strikes
Pakistan: 112/1 (13.1 ov)
• Saim Ayub 71 (38)**, Sahibzada Farhan 28 (27)
Pakistan won by 9 wickets (41 balls remaining) — series 1–1
Salman Mirza’s statement spell sets the tone
If you searched “Salman Mirza” tonight, you weren’t alone. Handed the new ball ahead of senior left-armer Shaheen Afridi, the 25-year-old delivered a signature spell that electrified Lahore and flipped the Pakistan versus South Africa narrative on its head.
- Ball 1: shapes away to Reeza Hendricks;
- Ball 2: angles back and hits leg stump — Hendricks gone for a duck.
- To Tony de Zorzi: works him in, then surprises with a short ball; two balls later, a slower-ball bouncer draws the top-edge to short fine.
- Matthew Breetzke: beaten by a cutter and bowled soon after.
By the fifth over South Africa were 23 for 4. Mirza’s final figures — 3 for 14 — are his best in T20Is, and the spell will live long in the search trends and highlight reels alike.
Faheem Ashraf cleans up the middle; Naseem sets it up
Alongside Mirza’s new-ball artistry, Naseem Shah removed Quinton de Kock with pace-off, while Faheem Ashraf ripped through the middle:
- Brevis briefly counterpunched (25 off 16, three sixes) before mis-hitting a Faheem short-of-a-length slower ball.
- Stand-in skipper Donovan Ferreira chopped on to Faheem; George Linde fell in near-identical fashion.
South Africa’s shot selection never matched the surface. From 66 for 6 after ten, they stumbled to 110 all out, with Faheem 4/23 the pick and Mirza 3/14 the tone-setter.
Super Saim: Ayub’s 71* ends it in a hurry
Where South Africa laboured, Saim Ayub made run-scoring look inevitable. The left-hander blitzed a 29-ball fifty and finished 71 off 38* in a 360-degree exhibition:
- Inside-out power over cover, late ramps over short third, and the shot of the night: a no-look pick-up over deep square.
- A 21-run ninth over off Ottniel Baartman (4, 6, 4, 6) reduced the chase to formality.
With Sahibzada Farhan (28)* steady at the other end, Pakistan coasted to 112/1 with 41 balls to spare.
Babar Azam’s milestone in Pakistan versus South Africa clash
Back on home soil after a first-match duck, Babar Azam entered at No. 3 and stroked his first ball through covers to a roar. A few overs later, a calm single took him past Rohit Sharma to become T20I’s leading run-scorer (4232+). Fittingly, Ayub finished the job with a towering six.
Why this matters ahead of the decider
- Pakistan’s blueprint clicks: pace-off variations early, Mirza’s cutters, Faheem’s change-ups, and a fearless Ayub at the top.
- South Africa’s rethink: top-order method against pace-off on gripping Lahore surfaces; selection questions linger (with Lhuan-dre Pretorius waiting).
- Momentum swing: with the series level, Pakistan carry the tactical edge and crowd energy into the decider.
Key stats at a glance
- Salman Mirza: 3/14 — career-best T20I figures
- Faheem Ashraf: 4/23 — middle-overs chokehold
- Powerplay: South Africa 66/6 at halfway; collapse began inside first five overs
- Winning margin: 9 wickets, 41 balls remaining
- Series: Pakistan vs South Africa 1–1, decider tomorrow
