On 2nd September, Sharjah witnessed a cricketing twist that nobody saw coming. Afghanistan beat Pakistan by 18 runs in the fourth T20I of the United Arab Emirates T20I Tri-Series 2025. This win was a big win just a week before the Asia Cup 2025. Afghanistan won the game. It also showed that they are calm, spin well, and can play well. Pakistan’s batting is not good.
Afghanistan didn’t start well as opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz fell early to Shaheen Afridi for just 8. But instead of giving up, Afghanistan had a good partnership on the next wicket. The game changed when Ibrahim Zadran (65 off 45) and Sediqullah Atal (64 off 48) put together an 113-run partnership. it was smart batting—rotating the strike, punishing loose deliveries, and keeping Pakistan’s bowlers under pressure.
For a while, it looked like Afghanistan would cruise past 180, but Pakistan’s Faheem Ashraf ended the partnership. Faheem’s brilliant spell of 4/27 stopped the flow of runs and pulled Afghanistan back to 169/5 in 20 overs.
Pakistan’s reply was messy from the start. Afghan’s swing start Fazalhaq Farooqi struck early, removing both openers inside the powerplay. From there, it was all spin, all Afghanistan. Rashid Khan trapped the middle order, mixing googlies with sharp control. Noor Ahmad was the quiet assassin here, giving away only 19 runs in 4 overs while picking up 2 wickets.
Between overs 7 and 15, Pakistan scored only 52 runs and lost 5 wickets. Their middle order looked clueless, their running sloppy, and their confidence shattered. Captain Salman Agha’s run-out, Rashid Khan’s fielding was great as usual.
If not for Haris Rauf, Pakistan’s defeat would have been far uglier. Batting at No. 10, he smashed 34 not out from just 16 balls, including four towering sixes. But by then, the game was gone. Pakistan ended on 151/9, still 18 runs short.
Key Match Highlights
- Partnership of the Match: Zadran–Atal, 113 runs for the 2nd wicket.
- Best Bowling: Faheem Ashraf, 4/27 (Pakistan).
- Game-Changer: Noor Ahmad’s 2/19 in 4 overs.
- Collapse: Pakistan lost 5 wickets for 44 runs in the middle overs.
- Dot Ball Pressure: Afghanistan bowled 54 dot balls, nearly 9 overs worth.
Why this win matters
Afghanistan showed maturity with the bat and dominance with the ball. Their spin trio—Rashid, Nabi, Noor—has become one of the most feared combinations in world T20 cricket. Add Zadran’s calm and Atal’s stroke play, and suddenly Afghanistan look like genuine contenders.
For Pakistan, this loss is worrying, their batting once again failed under pressure. Beyond Fakhar Zaman, nobody looked in control. With big tournaments around the corner, Pakistan’s over-reliance on Shaheen Afridi and their shaky middle order could cost them dearly.
