Pakistan stamped their authority on the UAE T20I Tri-Nation Series with a thumping 75-run win over Afghanistan in the final, a match that will be remembered for Mohammad Nawaz’s extraordinary spell. The left-arm spinner dismantled Afghanistan’s batting order with a five-wicket haul, including a hat-trick, to secure the trophy in emphatic fashion.
Batting first in Sharjah, Pakistan faced a challenging start as Afghanistan’s bowlers struck early to keep the scoring rate in check. Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad bowled with discipline, forcing Pakistan’s top order into mistakes. Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub showed promise but couldn’t convert starts, leaving the middle order under pressure. However, Mohammad Nawaz and Faheem Ashraf added crucial runs down the order, lifting Pakistan to 141 for 8—a total that looked modest but soon proved more than enough.
The real story of the night came with the ball. Nawaz opened his spell with immediate impact, striking twice inside the powerplay to rattle Afghanistan’s chase. The left-armer bowled with control and guile, exploiting turn and varying his pace brilliantly. Then, in a sensational over, Nawaz etched his name into the record books with a hat-trick—dismissing Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Ibrahim Zadran in three consecutive deliveries. It was a devastating moment that broke Afghanistan’s resistance and swung the match firmly in Pakistan’s favor.
Nawaz finished with figures of 5 for 19, his best-ever return in T20 internationals. His performance marked only the third T20I hat-trick by a Pakistani bowler, underlining both the rarity and significance of his achievement. With the rest of the bowling unit feeding off the momentum, Sufiyan Muqeem and Abrar Ahmed chipped in with two wickets apiece, while Shaheen Afridi’s early pressure ensured Afghanistan never recovered.
Afghanistan’s batting effort collapsed in dramatic fashion. From the very start, they struggled against Nawaz’s spin and Pakistan’s disciplined attack, slumping to just 66 all out in under 16 overs. It was their second-lowest total in T20Is, a stark reminder of the gulf in execution between the two sides on the night.
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha hailed Nawaz’s spell as a game-changer, emphasizing how vital his contributions are to the team’s balance. The skipper noted that despite the batting unit underperforming, the bowlers had more than made up for it, showcasing the depth and resilience of the squad.
For Afghanistan, the defeat was sobering. Rashid Khan admitted his side fell short in both planning and execution, acknowledging that while Pakistan’s score seemed chaseable, Nawaz’s spell left them with no answers.
Nawaz was named Player of the Match and Player of the Series, capping off a tournament in which he emerged as the leading wicket-taker. His all-round value to Pakistan has long been evident, but this performance reinforced his status as one of their key assets in limited-overs cricket.
The win not only handed Pakistan the tri-series crown but also served as a morale boost heading into the Asia Cup. With their bowling firing and a clutch performer in Nawaz hitting peak form, Pakistan look well-positioned to carry this momentum into bigger challenges ahead.
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