Defending a modest 141/8, Pakistan’s bowlers tore through Afghanistan’s batting order, with Nawaz leading the charge. He returned dream figures of 4 overs, 1 maiden, 19 runs, 5 wickets, dismantling the middle order and finishing with his career-best in T20 internationals.
His scalps included Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, and Rashid Khan, leaving Afghanistan reeling at 32/6.
Earlier, Pakistan’s innings was built on handy contributions from Fakhar Zaman (27), Salman Agha (24), and Mohammad Nawaz himself (25), though none could convert into a big score.
Afghanistan’s bowlers, particularly Rashid Khan (3/38) and Noor Ahmad (2/17), kept Pakistan in check, restricting them to 141/8 in 20 overs.
But the chase never got going for Afghanistan. Shaheen Shah Afridi struck early, before Nawaz ripped through the middle. Abrar Ahmed (2/17) and Sufiyan Muqeem (2/9) added to the pressure, bowling Afghanistan out for just 66 in 15.5 overs — their third-lowest T20I total.
The victory, anchored by Nawaz’s five-wicket haul, not only sealed the match for Pakistan but also underlined the team’s growing bowling depth heading into the Asia Cup.
