Image Credit- Getty
Afghanistan prevailed by four wickets to win the T20I
trophy 2-1, with four wickets from Naveen Ul Haq and three wickets from Qais
Ahmad condemning United Arab Emirates to a series defeat in Sharjah.
UAE was struggling at 38 for 4 by the sixth over
because to Naveen’s three wickets in the first-innings powerplay. Qais then
took the next three wickets, including UAE’s highest scorer Muhammad Waseem
(27). After Naveen returned to claim his fourth wicket to complete with 4 for
20, UAE’s total of 75 for 7 quickly changed to 107 for 9. However, an
undefeated 19-run partnership between Muhammad Jawadullah and Junaid Siddique
led the hosts to 126. With three for twenty-four, Qais completed his decent spell while
Azmatullah Omarzai scalped two.
Afghanistan’s pursuit was relaxed, if not methodical.
Hazratullah Zazai (36) and Ibrahim Zadran (23) scored slowly but kept the chase
going after Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 14-ball 20 gave the early push. Afghanistan
passed the halfway point of the objective thanks to a 37-run partnership
between Zazai and Ibrahim, but the UAE gained an opening as their middle order
collapsed, going from 85 for 2 to 103 for 6.
But Najibullah Zadran picked up the pace once again,
hitting two fours in the 18th over to bring the rate under six, with 24 needed
in 18 balls. He ended the game with two straight sixes to go undefeated on 28
at a strike-rate of 215 with 13 needed off the final two overs.