'Pure domination' - Twitter in awe as Pakistan thrash Nepal by 238 runs in Asia Cup opener

At the start of their Asia Cup 2023 campaign, Pakistan clashed with Nepal at the Multan Cricket Stadium. Under the captaincy of Babar Azam, Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first.

The early moments were not in Pakistan's favour, as opening batters Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq fell quickly, but the game swiftly changed its momentum as Babar Azam showcased his masterful skills. Babar's century emerged as the game-changer, highlighting his prowess in ODIs.

His entry at number three saved Pakistan from a shaky start as his partnership with Mohammad Rizwan got Pakistan out of early trouble. This partnership laid the groundwork for an astonishing 214-run partnership with Iftikhar Ahmed for the fifth wicket.

Babar Azam's sensational knock of 151, including fourteen fours and four sixes, displayed his resilience as a batting stalwart. Complemented by Iftikhar Ahmed's quick-fire century, which included eleven fours and four maximums, Pakistan reached to a commanding total of 342/5 in their allocated 50 overs.

The partnership between Babar and Iftikhar, scoring 214 runs in just 131 balls, turned the game on its head. The significance of Babar's century stretched beyond the match itself. The milestone marked his 19th ODI century and positioned him as the quickest to achieve this feat in terms of innings, surpassing Hashim Amla.

As Nepal began their pursuit of the formidable target of 343, Pakistan's bowling unit proved to be too difficult for them to face. Shaheen Afridi's fiery swinging deliveries, supported by Shadab Khan's spin magic, left the Nepali batters struggling. Pakistan's bowlers produced a comprehensive victory, bundling out Nepal for a mere 104 runs and helping Pakistan to win the match by 238 runs. Shadab Khan emerged as the standout performer with the ball, taking four wickets.

Here is how Twitter reacted to Pakistan's dominating victory over Nepal: 

A thumping victory to start of " Mission Asia Cup ". Superb display in all departments of play. A great moral booster before the big game against India .
We go again on Saturday 🇵🇰🙌🔥#PAKvsNEP #AsiaCup2023 pic.twitter.com/VZArO5kru2

— Bilawal 🇵🇰 | Imran Khan 👑🖤 | (@_Rajaay) August 30, 2023

Master of variations, Shadab Khan's bowling is a symphony of deception and precision. His leg-spin artistry has batsmen dancing to his tunes! 🎯🏏 #PAKvsNEP #ShadabKhan #GOAT𓃵 pic.twitter.com/RSZ68y74I2

— Tamseen Fatima (@tamseen_407) August 30, 2023

Shadab khan's Reaction on Fakhar Zaman Catch 🔥👏#PAKvsNEP pic.twitter.com/pFjPZOODyf

— jUnAiD 🇵🇰 \ 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐢 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧 😍 \ (@jUnAiD___56) August 30, 2023

What a winning start for Asia cup 🇵🇰❤#congratulationpakistan#PAKvsNEP #BabarAzam𓃵 pic.twitter.com/Q1f72vsbed

— rahim (@rahim00513) August 30, 2023

Nepal Are All Out As Pakistan Win By 238 Runs 🔥#PAKvsNEP

— 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘆𝗮𝗺 (@maryamm_56) August 30, 2023

Babar - 151 runs
Nepal - 104 runs

Babar Azam won by 47 runs😎✌🏻#PAKvsNEP pic.twitter.com/mwTbDQZEqU

— Zeenia🇵🇰 (@itz__ze) August 30, 2023

And Pakistan couldn't have asked more for a Great Start 🎉
Hope we can continue the Momentum ✨️#PAKvsNEP #AsiaCup2023 pic.twitter.com/uYofsby3Ka

— Ayat (@ayat_shah56) August 30, 2023

Well played Nepal
We welcome you from open hearts in Pakistan
دیدہ و دل فرش راہ #ShaheenAfridi #Naseem
💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚#AsiaCup2023 #multan #PakvsNepal #PAKvsNEP #WelcometoPakistan #multanCricketstadium #multan #AsiaCup #AsiaCup23 #NEPvsPAK #nepalvspakistan

— Mubeen ❄️ (@MubeenFatma) August 30, 2023

Congratulations Pakistan for the clinical win 🔥👏🏼 spectacular team effort led us to the win, #PAKvsNEP #AsiaCup2023

— Zumer khan (@Zumii_khan_3) August 30, 2023

Alhamdillalah Pakistan won 😌 by 238 runs against Nepal.
🥳🤩🤩
Babar , Ifkhtiar , Shahdab 👏
Shaheen, Naseem , Haris 👏🤩#PAKvsNEP | #AsiaCup2023

— Amna 🇵🇰🇵🇸 (@iAmnaA56) August 30, 2023

Also read: Asia Cup 2023 Live update