Pakistan began the Bank Alfalah Presents KFC ODI Series 2026 with an impressive five-wicket victory over Australia in the opening ODI.
After winning the toss, Pakistan restricted Australia to 200 runs in 44.1 overs. Matthew Renshaw top-scored with 61 off 63 balls, while Matt Short contributed 55 from 76 deliveries. Young all-rounder Arafat Minhas starred with the ball, claiming a brilliant five-wicket haul (5-32) in his 10 overs. Abrar Ahmed chipped in with two wickets, while Shaheen Shah Afridi and Salman Ali Agha took one wicket each.
In reply, Pakistan chased down the target comfortably, reaching 202-5 in 42.3 overs. Babar Azam led the innings with a composed 69 off 94 balls, while Ghazi Khan played a crucial knock of 65 from 92 deliveries. Sahibzada Farhan added a valuable 28 runs, and Arafat Minhas remained unbeaten on 18 to guide his side home.
Nathan Ellis was Australia’s most successful bowler with two wickets, while Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, and Tanveer Sangha claimed one wicket each.
Arafat Minhas emerged as the standout performer of the match, delivering a match-winning all-round display to help Pakistan take a 1-0 lead in the ODI series.
