Muneeba Ali, the opening batter for Pakistan, became the first-ever female cricketer from her country to score a century in T20 Internationals. She scored an unbeaten 102 off 68 balls, with the help of 14 fours, and helped her team reach a competitive total of 165 runs for the loss of five wickets against Ireland in the T20 World Cup. Muneeba, who had never scored a fifty in her previous 44 T20 Internationals, partnered with Nida Dar to build a third-wicket stand of 101 runs. The veteran all-rounder, Dar, scored 33 runs off 27 balls, supporting Muneeba in the middle.
In response to Pakistan’s target, Ireland were bowled out for 95 runs in 18.2 overs, losing the match by 70 runs. Left-arm spinner Nashra Sandhu was the pick of the bowlers, taking career-best figures of 4 for 18. Although Ireland’s opening batters, Amy Hunter and Gaby Lewis, started well, scoring 12 and 9 runs respectively, the rest of the batting lineup failed to build on their contributions. Orla Prendergast and Eimear Richardson played well, scoring 31 and 28 runs respectively, but their efforts were not enough to chase down Pakistan’s total.
Ireland had previously beaten Pakistan 2-1 in a T20 series in November 2021. However, the tables turned this time around, as Pakistan comprehensively outplayed Ireland in the T20 World Cup match. Muneeba’s unbeaten century was a key factor in Pakistan’s victory, as she became the first woman from her country to achieve this milestone. Sandhu’s four-wicket haul further solidified Pakistan’s dominance, as they secured their first victory in the T20 World Cup.
Overall, Muneeba Ali’s century and Sandhu’s four-wicket haul helped Pakistan register an emphatic win over Ireland in the T20 World Cup. Pakistan’s batting and bowling units worked together to secure their first win of the tournament. On the other hand, Ireland’s batting lineup struggled to get going, as they lost wickets at regular intervals. While Prendergast and Richardson played well, they were unable to overcome the strong challenge posed by the Pakistani side.