Afghanistan posted 170 for 4, led by Ibrahim Zadran 48 and Rahmanullah Gurbaz 40, with Karim Janat providing late acceleration.
UAE fought back strongly, with Muhammad Waseem scoring 44 and Asif Khan a valiant 40, keeping the chase alive until the final over.
Fareed Ahmad held his nerve in the last over, defending 16 runs to secure a thrilling four-run victory for Afghanistan.
Afghanistan had the game under control, fielding a second-string side with six players, including captain Rashid Khan, sitting out. Asif Khan threatened to turn the game on its head with a brilliant 40, keeping UAE alive. Fareed Ahmad, defending 16 in the final over, conceded a four and a six off the first two balls, making an upset look possible. However, he held his nerve to finish with 4, 6, 2, dot, dot, wicket, sealing a thrilling four-run win for Afghanistan. UAE ended the tri-series winless but showed flashes of brilliance, particularly from Asif Khan and skipper Muhammad Waseem.
Ibrahim Zadran was captaining Afghanistan for the tenth time and showed calm under pressure. He started slowly, scoring just five off nine balls, but looked technically solid when he attacked. A lapse came when he was deceived by left-arm spinner Haider Ali and lost his stumps for 48 off 34 balls. He quickly recovered, supporting Fareed Ahmad during the tense final overs and contributing to Afghanistan’s narrow victory.
Afghanistan Slow Down Before Finishing Strong
The pitch slowed as the innings progressed. Afghanistan lost three wickets in just over three overs after a 98-run opening partnership. Karim Janat, on 10 off seven balls, hit a six, helping the team accelerate. Overs 13 to 15 went for only 16 runs, but the next three yielded 36. Afghanistan finished on 170 for 4, with Haider Ali taking 2 for 23 and Simranjeet Singh 1 for 24. Muhammad Rohid was unlucky with two dropped catches off his bowling. Rahmanullah Gurbaz made the most of a second chance, turning 14 off 16 balls into 40 off 38.
UAE Fight Back
UAE started their chase aggressively, hitting seven boundaries in the powerplay compared to Afghanistan’s four. Waseem dazzled with shots over cover and deep third man. The chase looked promising, but Waseem’s dismissal brought Afghanistan back into the game. From overs 14 to 17, Mujeeb and Noor Ahmad bowled tightly, reducing the required run rate. Abdollah Ahmadzai leaked 16 runs to Asif Khan, keeping UAE in the contest.
Thrilling Finish
The final overs were nerve-wracking. Four more boundaries, including a dropped catch, kept UAE in contention. However, Afghanistan’s fielding and disciplined spin saw them through. Asif Khan’s valiant 40 and the UAE captain’s efforts could not prevent Afghanistan from squeezing home by four runs in a remarkable finish.
