SHARJAH: Pakistan lifted the UAE Tri-Nation T20 Series trophy after a dominant 75-run victory over Afghanistan in the final at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday night. Left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz was the star of the show, taking 5 wickets for just 19 runs in four overs, including a hat-trick, to dismantle Afghanistan’s batting lineup.
Pakistan’s Innings
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and chose to bat first. The start was shaky as Sahibzada Farhan fell for a duck in the first over. Saim Ayub (17) and Fakhar Zaman (27) tried to steady the innings, but wickets kept falling at regular intervals. Hasan Nawaz (15), Mohammad Haris (2), and Faheem Ashraf
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(15) could not convert their starts. Nawaz also contributed with the bat, scoring a quick 25 off 21 balls. Pakistan finished on 141 for 8 in their 20 overs. For Afghanistan, Rashid Khan took 3 wickets, Noor Ahmad 2, Fazalhaq Farooqi 2, and AM Ghazanfar 1.
Afghanistan’s Collapse
Chasing 142, Afghanistan never looked settled. They lost their first wicket at 7 runs and were soon reduced to 29 for 4 after Nawaz’s double strike in one over. From there, the collapse continued — Ibrahim Zadran, Karim Janat, and Mohammad Nabi all fell cheaply. Only captain Rashid Khan (17) and Sediqullah Atal (13) reached double figures. Afghanistan were bowled out for 66 in 15.5 overs. Apart from Nawaz’s five-for, Sufiyan Muqeem and Abrar Ahmed took 2 wickets each, while Shaheen Shah Afridi claimed 1.
Series Glory
With this win, Pakistan became the Tri-Nation T20 Series champions, capping off the tournament with a commanding performance in the final. Nawaz was named Player of the Match and also Player of the Series for his all-round contributions — 120 runs and 10 wickets in the tournament.
