Match Details

AFG vs PAK, 4th T20, UAE Tri-Series 2025 live

PAK

151-9(20.0)

Afghanistan won by 18 runs 🏆

AFG

(20.0)169-5

Match info

Live

Scorecard

Commentary

So, that is it from myself, Karthik Raj, my co-commentator, Deepak Prakash and our scorer, Bishal Mandal as we wrap up the coverage of this fixture. Do stay tuned to our network with a lot more cricketing action coming later on Wednesday!

Rashid Khan (Afghanistan Captain): "(About the total he had in mind at the toss) Exactly what we wanted. This was not the kind of a wicket where you score 160-plus and it is easy to chase. I wanted that total to give the best chance to the bowlers. (Bringing in Noor Ahmad and Allah Ghazanfar) We can call it a kind of a tactic as we have the bench strength. Anyone who can come in can do the job. I thought Allah Ghazanfar and Noor Ahmad would be effective will be effective on this pitch when compared to few days ago.

(On Sediqullah Atal and Ibrahim Zadran) They are two great players, it is just the beginning for them in International cricket. Reading the conditions is important. They understand that if we take the game deep, we can score. (Batting higher up the order) I am hearing a lot but last four overs, rest of the batters were also there. Trying to give them confidence with big games coming up."

Salman Ali Agha (Pakistan Captain): "I think 170 was gettable. We have seen the games here. I thought the bowlers did well but we lost too many wickets during the middle-overs. After eight overs, we were 60 odd for two but we lost our way after that.

They are quality spinners, if you give a sniff to them, they will take it. We lost too many wickets in the middle overs and still lost only by 18 runs. If we did better in the middle overs, could have been a different story."

Ibrahim Zadran (Player of the Match): "I played well in the last game, I tried to take that into this fixture. I tried to save the game, build a partnership. I just tried to remain calm and not take pressure. Just looked to rotate strike.

(Batting with Sediqullah Atal) We have been playing together since 2020 since the U-19 World Cup. There is understanding and trust between us. These were the things we tried to do and hope to do in the future also. I was just trying to target one bowler at a time. Was following the (score) board and was focusing on what the team needs."

Ibrahim Zadran has been named as the 'Player of the Match'.

Sediqullah Atal gets the 'Energetic Player of the Match' award.

Time for the Post-match Presentation!

Players with 2000+ Runs and 100+ Wickets in T20Is:

Shakib Al Hasan – 2,551 runs & 149 wickets

Mohammad Nabi – 2,246 runs & 101 wickets

Highest 10th Wicket Partnership for Pakistan in T20Is:

40* – Haris Rauf & Sufiyan Muqeem vs Afghanistan, Sharjah, 2025, Tonight*

31* – Shoaib Akhtar & Wahab Riaz vs New Zealand, Auckland, 2010

25 – Abdul Samad & Abrar Ahmed vs New Zealand, Mount Maunganui, 2025

00:12 AM IST, 10:42 PM Local Time: A fine win from Afghanistan as they avenge the defeat to Pakistan earlier in the series. Afghanistan’s 169/5 by 18 runs. Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mohammad Nabi and Noor Ahmad all picked up two wickets as Pakistan were strangled in the chase.

Allah Ghazanfar took the new ball with the first over going for 8 runs but Fazalhaq Farooqi struck a huge blow as he removed Saim Ayub for a duck with his first ball. Farhan looked good for a little while especially against Ghazanfar but Farooqi came around the wicket in the 4th over and castled him. The batting side still finished the Powerplay on a high note as the duo of Fakhar Zaman and Salman Ali Agha played positive cricket to help their team to 52/2 at the end of six overs.

The duo continued to bat smoothly until the 8th over when Fakhar Zaman miscued a cut shot off Mohammad Nabi straight to the man at short third. In the very next over, Rashid Khan converted a nothing ball into a run-out as Agha went back to the hut in a frustrated manner. Thereafter it was all Afghanistan with Noor Ahmad also getting a wicket off the first ball with Hasan Nawaz top-edging a sweep to short fine-leg that too off a full-toss.

Wickets continued to fall with Mohammad Haris heaving a short-ish ball to deep mid-wicket as Nabi got his second scalp. The duo of Mohammad Nawaz and Faheem looked to build a partnership but it was tough going as they found it difficult to pick Noor, in particular. Nawaz' struggle came to an end in the 16th over as he holed out to deep backward point off Rashid Khan's bowling. Then, Rashid castled Shaheen Afridi for a duck to get himself on a hat-trick which was averted by Haris Rauf.

Meanwhile, Faheem got a reprieve with Rashid Khan racing across from long-off to long-on before shelling a catch even though Sediqullah Atal was ready for a straight-forward catch. It didn't matter much as Noor bowled Faheem with the final ball of his spell. With the match out of the window, Haris smashed Rashid for a couple of sixes but Ghazanfar dropped him at deep square-leg in between those hits as well. With 33 runs required off the last ball, Haris some more entertainment as he took 15 runs off Azmatullah Omarzai's bowling to reduce the deficit to 18.

Earlier in the match, Rahmanullah Gurbaz skied a slog off Saim Ayub's bowling to deep mid-wicket and perished cheaply. Afghanistan then scrawled to 34/1 at the end of the Powerplay but the pair of Sediqullah Atal and Ibrahim Zadran accelerated superbly. Both the batters went onto register back-to-back fifties.

Pakistan still made a fine comeback in the last five overs with Faheem breaking the 113-run partnership in the 16th over. Azmatullah Omarzai was dropped in the same over by Mohammad Nawaz at deep mid-wicket but he couldn't capitalize as Faheem got him in the 18th over. Three overs later, Ibrahim also departed in a bid to accelerate as Faheem got his third scalp. Mohammad Nabi ended up becoming Faheem's fourth wicket in the final over while Rashid Khan struck a six to help Afghanistan end up with 169/5.