Mohammad Nawaz scripted history under the Sharjah lights on Saturday night, delivering a spell that will be etched in Pakistan cricket’s T20I folklore. The left-arm spinner became the first Pakistani spinner to claim a hat-trick in men’s T20Is, orchestrating Afghanistan’s spectacular collapse and sealing a commanding 75-run win for Pakistan in the UAE T20I Tri-Series final.
Set a modest target of 142 after a scratchy batting effort, Pakistan needed early breakthroughs to tilt the game. Nawaz answered that call in style. Introduced in the middle overs, he ran through Afghanistan’s batting order with a dazzling display of flight, accuracy, and guile.
Afghanistan vs Pakistan T20I Tri-series Final Highlights
His victims included Ibrahim Zadran (stumped), Darwish Rasooli (lbw), and Azmatullah Omarzai (caught behind) off successive deliveries, sending shockwaves through Sharjah’s crowd. Soon after, he trapped Karim Janat and dismissed Rashid Khan, finishing with career-best figures of 5 for 19 in 4 overs.
The hat-trick made Nawaz the fifth Pakistani overall to achieve the feat in T20Is after Asmavia Iqbal, Faheem Ashraf, Sana Mir, and Mohammad Hasnain. More significantly, it reduced Afghanistan to their second-lowest T20I total—66 all out in just 15.5 overs. Only Rashid Khan (17 off 18) offered any resistance before falling victim to Nawaz himself.
Earlier, Pakistan’s batting had struggled against Afghanistan’s spinners. Rashid Khan’s 3 for 38 and Noor Ahmad’s 2 for 17 put Pakistan under pressure. Contributions from Fakhar Zaman (27), Salman Agha (24), and Mohammad Nawaz (25 off 21) helped them limp to 141 for 8—a total that looked under par at the halfway stage.
But Nawaz’s brilliance, backed by tight spells from Abrar Ahmed (2 for 17) and Sufiyan Muqeem (2 for 9), ensured Pakistan defended the modest score emphatically. Afghanistan folded 75 runs short, handing Pakistan the trophy and a morale-boosting triumph ahead of the Asia Cup.
Brief Scores
Pakistan: 141/8 in 20 overs. Fakhar Zaman 27, Mohammad Nawaz 25; Rashid Khan 3/38, Noor Ahmad 2/17
Afghanistan: 66 all out in 15.5 overs. Rashid Khan 17; Mohammad Nawaz 5/19; Sufiyan Muqeem 2/9, Abrar Ahmed 2/17
Result: Pakistan beat Afghanistan by 75 runs
– Ends