Mohammad Nawaz’s Hat-Trick Leads Pakistan to Tri-Series Triumph Over Afghanistan

Left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz stole the show with an incredible five-wicket haul, including a hat-trick, while Sufiyan Muqeem and Abrar Ahmed took two wickets each as Pakistan crushed Afghanistan to win the tri-series. In a match where almost 30 overs of spin were bowled the second-most ever in a men’s T20I between full-member teams Afghanistan were all out for just 66 while chasing Pakistan’s 141/8 in Sharjah.

Afghanistan struggled against the spin in the title match, losing four wickets inside the PowerPlay. Shaheen Afridi started by dismissing Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the first over. Legspinner Abrar Ahmed then got the left-handed Sediqullah Atal in the fifth over. Mohammad Nawaz took over in the sixth, first trapping Darwish Rasooli, then having Azmatullah Omarzai caught behind and on the first ball of his next over, stumping Ibrahim Zadran to complete a hat-trick. Afghanistan were suddenly 32/5 and facing a very tough chase.

Nawaz didn’t stop at the hat-trick. Three balls later, he dismissed Karim Janat to complete a double-wicket maiden. Rashid Khan came in to try and stabilize the innings, but Abrar Ahmed removed Mohammad Nabi in the 11th over. In the 13th over, Nawaz claimed his fifth wicket by trapping Rashid miscued a shot to cover. Despite a collision between the wicketkeeper Haris and Salman Agha, the catch was held. Sufiyan Muqeem then finished off the remaining batsmen over two overs, restricting Afghanistan to their second-lowest total ever in T20Is.

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Mohammad Nawaz Batter

Mohammad Nawaz is a Pakistani cricketer who was born in Rawalpindi, Punjab on March 21, 1994.

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Shaheen Shah Afridi Batter

Shaheen Shah Afridi is a Pakistani cricketer who has made significant contributions to the sport.

Pakistan Struggles Against Spin on Tricky Pitch

Earlier in the evening, Pakistan’s batters struggled against the turn and grip on the pitch. Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, and AM Ghazanfar shared six of the eight wickets as Pakistan batted cautiously throughout. Fazalhaq Farooqi struck early by removing Sahibzada Farhan in the first over, but Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman kept Pakistan going through the rest of the PowerPlay. Noor Ahmad ended their partnership in the eighth over by dismissing Ayub, and Rashid followed by taking Zaman’s wicket in the next over.

The two spinners continued to trouble Pakistan, reducing them to 72/5 by the 12th over. Mohammad Nawaz tried to counterattack with the bat, hitting two sixes off Ghazanfar and Farooqi to score 25 from 21 balls. Rashid took his third wicket by dismissing Salman Agha but gave away 17 runs in that over, which helped Pakistan cross the 100-run mark.

Faheem Ashraf then played aggressively, scoring 15 runs from just eight balls. Even though Pakistan ended with a modest total, the bowling conditions and disciplined performance on the night meant it was more than enough to secure victory.

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by Madhan963 September 8, 2025