Haris Rauf endured yet another poor day at the office as Brisbane Heat edged past Melbourne Stars at the Gabba on Friday. The Pakistan pacer was unable to defend 10 runs in the final over as Max Bryant saw his team over the line in a dramatic BBL 2025/26 clash.
Tasked with closing out the match, Rauf found himself under immediate pressure when Max Bryant stepped up with intent. In a repeat of Tilak Varma’s memorable assault in the Asia Cup 2025 final, Bryant unleashed a towering six off Rauf that instantly swung momentum in Brisbane Heat’s favour. With the equation tilted decisively, Bryant calmly followed it up with a boundary to seal the win and spark celebrations in the Heat camp.
In that Asia Cup 2025 final, Tilak played a whirlwind knock to see India lift the title. Varma had swung for the fence and sealed a six, before Rinku Singh found the boundary off his only delivery to seal a famous victory. Rauf's struggles were rejoiced by Indian cricket fans online, who pointed to his record at the death.
The final-over setback summed up a difficult evening for Rauf, who struggled for rhythm throughout the game. The Pakistan fast bowler conceded 40 runs in just 3.4 overs, with the batters repeatedly targeting him at crunch moments.
Despite his reputation as a proven death-overs specialist, Rauf was unable to execute his yorkers consistently, allowing Bryant the room to swing freely in the closing stages. As a result, Brisbane sealed a thrilling chase with Rauf left to rue another missed chance.
