Daijiworld Media Network - Chennai
Chennai, Feb 19: Veteran off-spin all-rounder Mohammad Nabi delivered a masterclass with the ball, returning a stunning 4-7 as Afghanistan crushed Canada by 82 runs in their final Group D encounter of the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday.
Asked to bat first, Afghanistan posted a commanding 200/4 — their first 200-plus total of the tournament — built around an unbeaten 95 from Ibrahim Zadran. It marked his second consecutive half-century of the competition. Sediqullah Atal provided valuable support with a brisk 44 as the pair added 95 runs for the third wicket. Canada’s most successful bowler was Jaskaran Singh, who claimed 3-52, but Afghanistan’s late surge — 69 runs in the final five overs — proved decisive.
Canada’s chase of 201 began with promise. Yuvraj Samra found early boundaries, while Dilpreet Bajwa struck two sixes in quick succession. However, the momentum shifted rapidly when Mujeeb Ur Rahman bowled Bajwa with a googly. Navneet Dhaliwal fell for a five-ball duck in his final international appearance, and Nabi struck with his very first delivery to remove Samra, reducing Canada to 33/3 inside the powerplay.
From there, Afghanistan’s spin attack tightened its grip. Captain Rashid Khan chipped in with 2-19, while Nabi dismantled the middle order with guile and precision, recording his best figures at a T20 World Cup. Brief resistance came through a 53-run stand between Harsh Thaker (30) and skipper Saad bin Zafar (28), but the early collapse proved too damaging. Canada closed at 118/8 in their 20 overs.
Earlier, Afghanistan had raced to 49 in the powerplay before Jaskaran Singh struck twice in four balls to remove Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Gulbadin Naib. Zadran then anchored the innings with composure and calculated aggression. Dropped on 54 by Dhaliwal, he capitalised fully, finishing unbeaten off 56 deliveries, an innings decorated with seven fours and five sixes at a strike rate nearing 170.
The emphatic victory gave Afghanistan a strong finish to a campaign that showed promise but ultimately fell short of qualification for the Super Eight stage, in what was also the final match in charge for head coach Jonathan Trott. For Canada, the loss marked the end of a spirited tournament that highlighted the potential of several emerging players.
Brief Scores:
Afghanistan 200/4 in 20 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 95*, Sediqullah Atal 44; Jaskaran Singh 3-52, Dilon Heyliger 1-41) beat Canada 118/8 in 20 overs (Harsh Thaker 30, Saad bin Zafar 28; Mohammad Nabi 4-7, Rashid Khan 2-19) by 82 runs.