Sharjah, September 3 (HS): Afghanistan pulled off an impressive victory against Pakistan by 18 runs in the Tri-Nation T20 Series late Tuesday night, with hosts UAE being the third team in the tournament.
The Afghan innings was anchored by superb half-centuries from Ibrahim Zadran (65) and Sediqullah Atal (64), whose 113-run partnership turned the contest on its head. While Pakistan’s Faheem Ashraf impressed with a four-wicket haul (4/27), he couldn’t prevent Afghanistan from posting a competitive 169/5 in 20 overs. Veteran Mohammad Nabi’s late cameo added crucial finishing touches.
Pakistan, chasing 170, struggled under scoreboard pressure. Despite a promising start with Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman playing some brisk strokes, wickets tumbled at regular intervals. Rashid Khan delivered the killer blow by striking twice in two balls, while left-arm spinner Noor Ahmad and Nabi tightened the screws with two wickets apiece.
Only Haris Rauf showed late resistance, smashing four sixes in a quickfire knock, but Pakistan’s reply fizzled out at 151/9 in the allotted overs.
Match Summary:
Afghanistan: 169/5 (Ibrahim Zadran 65, Sediqullah Atal 64; Faheem Ashraf 4/27)
Pakistan: 151/9 (Haris Rauf 34*, Fakhar Zaman 25; Noor Ahmad 2/20, Mohammad Nabi 2/20)
Result: Afghanistan won by 18 runs
With this victory, Afghanistan sent a strong message in the triangular series, outclassing Pakistan in both batting partnerships and bowling discipline.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
