Afghanistan climbed to top of the table in the UAE tri-series after comfortably defeating Pakistan by 18 runs in Sharjah on Tuesday, September 2.
Playing the same opposition for the second time in a row, Afghanistan once again stuck to their tried-and-tested approach — bat first, put up a competitive score, and then strangle the opposition with spin — which brought them another step closer to securing a place in the final.
Their innings began shakily with the dismissal of Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the second over, but Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal steadied things with a composed partnership. Without going for reckless acceleration, the duo denied Pakistan breakthroughs, each reaching a half-century and adding a century stand before paving the way for the middle order to accelerate.
Pakistan, however, clawed back through Faheem Ashraf, who bagged four wickets, including three in successive overs, sparking a mini collapse. From a strong 123/1, Afghanistan slumped to 146/4, losing both set batters. Despite the solid foundation, Pakistan managed to restrict Afghanistan to under 170.
Chasing, Pakistan needed at least one or two big scores to get across the line, but Afghanistan’s bowlers dictated terms. Fazalhaq Farooqi struck early by removing both openers, after which Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, and Noor Ahmad combined to pick six wickets, with Rashid reaching the landmark of 100 T20I wickets.
With Pakistan’s top order collapsing, the only real resistance came from No. 10 batter Haris Rauf, who smashed a quick 34 off 16 balls. His effort wasn’t enough as Afghanistan sealed back-to-back wins while handing Pakistan their first defeat of the tournament. The UAE, already winless, now face elimination, setting the stage for a likely Afghanistan-Pakistan final on Sunday.