Rizwan leaves it late as Linde, Miller put South Africa 1-0 up

South Africa wins the match by 11 runs

Just a day after clinching the Test series against Sri Lanka, South Africa fielded a new team and won the first T20I against Pakistan by 11 runs. David Miller's 82 off 40 balls and George Linde's all-round performance (48 runs and 4 wickets) were crucial for South Africa's victory.

Pakistan's powerplay in the chase had two contrasting phases. Babar Azam was dismissed for a duck by Kwena Maphaka, but Saim Ayub's quick 31 off 13 balls took Pakistan to 55/1 by the end of the powerplay. However, Pakistan lost Ayub and Usman Khan shortly after, and Rizwan struggled to find his rhythm, scoring 24 off 32 balls at one point.

Rizwan's strike rate improved in the 17th over when he hit two sixes off Maphaka, but a three-wicket over from Linde derailed Pakistan's chase. Rizwan's late surge was not enough, and Pakistan fell short by 11 runs.

Earlier, South Africa's innings saw a mix of wickets and boundaries. Shaheen Afridi took two early wickets, but Miller's 82 off 40 balls and Linde's 48 off 35 balls helped South Africa post 183/9 on the board. Pakistan's bowlers struck back regularly, but Linde and Maphaka's late boundaries gave South Africa the momentum they needed.

Brief scores:

• South Africa: 183/9 in 20 overs (David Miller 82, George Linde 48; Shaheen Afridi 3/22, Abrar Ahmed 3/37)
• Pakistan: 172/8 in 20 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 74; George Linde 4/21)