Afghanistan defeated Pakistan by seven wickets in the second T20I match in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
After a slow start, Afghanistan’s Najibullah Zadran and Mohammad Nabi stepped up in the crucial final overs, hitting a six each off pace bowler Naseem Shah to reduce the target to just five runs. Zadran hit the winning boundary in the final over, chasing down the 131-run target with one ball to spare.
Pakistan’s score of 130-6 was built around a sedate 57-ball 64 not out by all-rounder Imad Wasim, marking his maiden T20I half-century. However, their slow batting left Afghanistan needing to score 46 runs off the last 30 balls. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran set the platform with a 56-run second-wicket stand, but Najibullah and Nabi sealed the victory, remaining unbeaten with scores of 23 and 14, respectively.
Earlier in the match, Pakistan’s recovery was led by Imad, who rescued the team from 63-5 after winning the toss and batting. Imad and captain Shadab Khan added 67 for the sixth wicket, but it was not enough to secure the win for Pakistan. Left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi claimed two wickets for 19 runs in his four overs, while spin bowler Rashid Khan dismissed Azam Khan for just one run.
This was Afghanistan’s first bilateral T20I series win against any of the top six teams, including India, England, Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia. They have previously won the T20I series against the West Indies and Bangladesh and five in five against Zimbabwe. Afghanistan’s victory in this match marked a significant milestone in their cricketing history.”
