Afghanistan sealed an emotional 18-run win over Pakistan in Sharjah on Monday, riding on the back of a dazzling spin performance and a superb second-wicket stand between Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal. The victory came in the shadow of tragedy at home, where an earthquake has claimed over 1,400 lives, making the triumph even more poignant for the Afghan team and their supporters.
Batting first, Afghanistan were in early trouble at 18 for 1 in the fourth over. But Zadran (65) and Atal (64) stitched together a 113-run stand, the second-highest for the wicket in Afghanistan’s T20I history. Their counterattack, which included a 20-run over off Sufiyan Muqeem, gave Afghanistan a solid base even as the rest of the line-up faltered. Faheem Ashraf provided Pakistan’s only bright spark with a brilliant 4-for, using clever variations to restrict Afghanistan to 169 for 6.
In reply, Pakistan got off to a horror start with Fazalhaq Farooqi removing Saim Ayub first ball. Though Fakhar Zaman’s 15-run burst off Azmatullah Omarzai lifted them to 52 for 2, Afghanistan’s spinners quickly took over. Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad and Mohammad Nabi dismantled the middle order, sharing six wickets between them as Pakistan slumped from 62 for 2 to 82 for 6.
From there, the chase was beyond repair. Only Haris Rauf’s late cameo (34* off 16) gave the scoreboard a lift, but by then Afghanistan had long put the game beyond reach. Pakistan were eventually restricted to 151 for 9, well short of the target.
For Afghanistan, it was yet another reminder of why they are so dangerous defending totals. Despite heavy dew, their spinners thrived, turning a modest score into a statement win over their regional rivals.
