Afghanistan secured an emphatic 82-run victory over Canada in their concluding T20 World Cup Group D fixture on Thursday, courtesy of Ibrahim Zadran’s commanding unbeaten half-century and Mohammad Nabi’s exceptional bowling performance.
Following Canada’s decision to field first, Zadran delivered a masterful unbeaten 95 from 56 deliveries, featuring seven boundaries and five maximums. His partnership with Sediqullah Atal (44 from 32 balls) yielded 95 runs for the third wicket, propelling Afghanistan to an imposing total of 200 for 4 in their tournament finale.
Canada’s reply faltered significantly, managing only 118 for 8 as Mohammad Nabi claimed remarkable figures of 4/7, while Rashid Khan contributed with 2/19. Afghanistan Ended Their T20 World cup Campaign With A Big Win .
TOSS
Canada won the toss and elected to field first.
PLAYING XI
Afghanistan (Playing XI):
Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan(c), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Ziaur Rahman Sharifi, Abdullah Ahmadzai
Canada (Playing XI):
Yuvraj Samra, Dilpreet Bajwa(c), Navneet Dhaliwal, Harsh Thaker, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva(w), Saad Bin Zafar, Dilon Heyliger, Jaskaran Singh, Kaleem Sana, Ansh Patel
AFGHANISTAN
After electing to bowl, Canada required patience before making their breakthrough in the final over of the PowerPlay. Rahmanullah Gurbaz benefited from a missed stumping opportunity by Shreyas Movva off Dilon Heyliger during the second over. Capitalizing on this escape, Gurbaz accumulated 30 runs from 20 deliveries before Jaskaran Singh dismissed him with a catch at deep point in the sixth over. Three deliveries subsequently, Gulbadin Naib fell victim to an lbw decision, with Jaskaran successfully overturning the original not-out verdict through review, leaving Afghanistan at 49 for 2.
Zadran demonstrated remarkable composure throughout his innings. Discovering an excellent partner in Sediqullah Atal, the duo constructed a crucial 95-run stand for the third wicket, gradually gaining momentum before seizing complete dominance. Atal displayed creativity and aggression, distributing his shots effectively across the field before falling to a catch at long-on off Jaskaran’s delivery for 44 from 32 balls. At this juncture, Afghanistan stood at 144 for 3 with five overs remaining, and Zadran had reached peak form. Azmatullah Omarzai provided valuable support with a swift 13 from 7 balls before departing via long-on, though his dismissal proved inconsequential as Afghanistan accumulated 69 runs during the final five overs. They achieved their 200-run milestone from the final delivery, leaving Zadran tantalizingly short of a well-deserved century by merely five runs. Throughout his innings, he struck seven boundaries and cleared the rope on five occasions.
CANADA-
The chase was actually never going to be close. It was definitely one-sided from the start. Mujeeb Ur Rahman dismissed Dilpreet Bajwa for 13 runs by hitting his leg stump in the second over, and further sealed the match when Azmatullah Omarzai got Navneet Dhaliwal out for a duck in the fourth over. The game itself was decided early after these key wickets. Dhaliwal, who is 37 years old, was playing his final international innings and received a guard of honour with Ravinderpal Singh before the match itself. This further marked the end of his international career. Basically, Rashid Khan gave a warm hug at the boundary when Canada’s top T20I scorer was walking off, and it was the same as a perfect farewell moment.
Yuvraj Samra scored a century against New Zealand at this ground two days back, but he could make only 17 runs today before Nabi’s sharp turning ball took the leading edge to point. The dismissal itself showed how cricket can change quickly from one match to another, further proving that past performances do not guarantee future success. Nabi bowled excellently and dismissed Kirton with a catch at long-on, while Harsh Thaker made 30 runs but got out trying to sweep the ball, and Heyliger was caught in the deep field itself. This spell further strengthened Nabi’s bowling performance in the match.
Nabi could have taken a fifth wicket further, but Gurbaz dropped an easy catch when no other fielder was near him, similar to how Gurbaz and Abdullah Ahmadzai almost collided with each other while going for Heyliger’s catch itself. Rashid Khan surely dismissed both Movva and Bin Zafar effectively. Moreover, Bin Zafar was bowled when the ball passed through his bat and pad while he attempted a big shot. Canada actually scored only 118 runs for 8 wickets. This definitely showed the big gap between both teams.
Brief scores:
Afghanistan actually scored 200/4 in 20 overs with Ibrahim Zadran making 95* and Sediqullah Atal scoring 44, while Jaskaran Singh took 3-52. Canada definitely lost by 82 runs, managing only 118/8 in 20 overs with Harsh Thaker’s 30 as Mohammad Nabi grabbed 4-7 and Rashid Khan took 2-19.
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