Cricholic
Afghanistan edged past the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by four runs in a thrilling finish to the final league clash of the T20I tri-series. The narrow win left the hosts winless in the tournament and gave Afghanistan a confidence boost ahead of the final. Fareed Ahmad Malik delivered a superb last over to deny UAE a famous win.
Afghanistan innings powered by Ibrahim and Gurbaz 🚀
Afghanistan posted 171/5 in their 20 overs after choosing to bat first. The start was set up by a commanding 98-run stand between Ibrahim Zadran (48) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (40). UAE missed a run-out chance and dropped a catch, which allowed the Afghan openers to dominate.
Both batters kept the score ticking with quick running and clean strokes. They reached their fifty partnership in the 8th over. Ibrahim then shifted gears, pulling and cutting before stepping out to hit Muhammad Farooq for a six.
The partnership ended when Gurbaz was dismissed in the 12th over. Ibrahim followed one ball later, falling to Haider Ali. Mohammad Ishaq struggled during his short stay, but Karim Janat kept the momentum alive. His explosive 28 off 14 balls included three sixes and a four.
Gulbadin Naib and Azmatullah Omarzai added useful boundaries in the final overs. Their contributions lifted Afghanistan to 171, a score that looked competitive on a good batting track.
Fightback through Noor Ahmad’s spin 🎯
UAE began their chase aggressively. Alishan Sharafu and Muhammad Waseem attacked the PowerPlay, striking seven boundaries and three sixes. They powered the hosts to 54/0 in six overs, putting Afghanistan under pressure.
The breakthrough came from Noor Ahmad, who removed Sharafu for 27. His clever variations slowed the scoring and brought Afghanistan back into the contest. Waseem reached 44 but fell to Karim Janat after hitting a six the previous ball.
Muhammad Zohaib struck two boundaries before falling soon after. The Afghan spinners bowled tightly, building pressure and forcing UAE’s middle order to take risks. Runs dried up, and the required rate climbed steeply.
Afghanistan hold nerve in thrilling finale ⚡
Asif Khan struggled early in his innings, managing only 7 runs from 13 balls by the 17th over. But once pace returned, he turned the game around. He smashed two fours and a six in the 18th over, collecting 16 runs. Another boundary in the 19th kept UAE in the hunt.
Harshit Kaushik added a four and a six to reduce the target to 17 off the last over. With five required from three balls, UAE were favorites to snatch victory. But Afghanistan pacer Fareed Ahmad Malik held his nerve. He delivered two dot balls before dismissing Asif on the final delivery, sealing a dramatic four-run win.
Afghanistan vs UAE – Brief Scores 📊
- Afghanistan 171/5 in 20 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 48, Rahmanullah Gurbaz 40; Haider Ali 2/23, Simranjeet Singh 1/24)
- UAE 166/5 in 20 overs (Muhammad Waseem 44, Asif Khan 40; Noor Ahmad 1/23, Sharafuddin Ashraf 1/20)
- Result: Afghanistan won by 4 runs
