Mohammad Nawaz commemorates his match-winning hat-trick as Pakistan takes apart Afghanistan, sending out a cautioning to India ahead of Asia Cup 2025.( Photo Credit-Instagram)
Pakistan sent out a stern caution to arch-rivals India and Asia Cup competitors alike as Mohammad Nawaz provided an astonishing hat-trick, guiding the Men in Green to a dominant 75-run success over Afghanistan in the tri-series last at Sharjah. Nawaz’s career-best T20I figures of 5 for 19 took apart Afghanistan for a simple 66 runs, highlighting Pakistan’s powerful bowling attack ahead of the Asia Cup 2025.[19659002]Check Out: Shubman Gill Set To Replace Rohit Sharma As India’s ODI Captain Ahead Of Australia Series: Report
Nawaz Spins Afghanistan into Submission
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Choosing to bat initially, Pakistan handled a modest 142/8 in 20 overs on a challenging Sharjah surface area that provided turn and bounce. Fakhar Zaman top-scored with 27 runs, while Saim Ayub contributed 17, creating a 49-run collaboration for the 2nd wicket. Captain Salman Agha laboured to 24, and Nawaz included a vigorous 25 off 21 balls, supplying Pakistan with a defendable overall.
Afghanistan’s chase never ever got momentum. Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz (5) and Sediqullah Atal (13) fell inexpensively, leaving the middle order exposed. Mohammad Nawaz then took the minute in the 6th over, taking 3 wickets in successive shipments– Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Ibrahim Zadran– finishing a T20I hat-trick and ending up being simply the 3rd Pakistani bowler to attain this task after Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Hasnain.
Nawaz’s dazzling spell lowered Afghanistan to 32/6, and he ultimately ended up with a five-wicket haul, making sure Pakistan bowled out Afghanistan for 66– their second-lowest T20I overall. Just Rashid Khan (17) and Sediqullah Atal (13) reached double figures, highlighting the ravaging effectiveness of Pakistan’s bowling lineup.
Rashid Khan’s Impact Limited
Afghanistan’s star spinner, Rashid Khan, made early inroads by declaring 3 wickets for 38 runs, consisting of getting rid of Fakhar Zaman in the opening over. Pakistan’s tail-end resistance, especially Nawaz’s counter-attacking 25, reduced the effects of Rashid’s impact. Even with the pitch helping spinners, Afghanistan’s batsmen had a hard time to turn the strike, intensifying their concerns.
Secret Moments That Defined the Match
Opening Struggles: Sahibzada Farhan succumbed to a first-ball duck, setting the tone for a tough innings.
Nawaz’s Hat-Trick: Consecutive terminations of Rasooli, Omarzai, and Zadran put the video game beyond Afghanistan’s reach.
Pakistan’s Tail Contribution: Nawaz’s quickfire 25 and Captain Agha’s 24 offered Pakistan a defendable overall in spite of early wickets.
Afghanistan’s Collapse: Five wickets for simply 4 runs in a single stage highlighted the space in execution under pressure.
Pakistan’s Momentum Ahead of Asia Cup
The tri-series victory has actually offered Pakistan with a substantial self-confidence increase ahead of the Asia Cup 2025, where they are positioned in Group An along with India, Oman, and hosts UAE. Captain Salman Agha stated, “We wished to prepare in a manner that assists us for the Asia Cup and we’ve done that. We’re in great shape and completely prepared.”
For India, this efficiency is an indication. Pakistan’s capability to safeguard modest overalls on tough surface areas, combined with Nawaz’s match-winning expertise, makes them a powerful challenger in Sharjah when the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup clash gets here on September 14.
Afghanistan, on the other hand, will want to regroup as they start their Asia Cup project versus Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi. In spite of Rashid Khan’s private radiance, their batting fragility was exposed, highlighting locations needing immediate attention.
