Afghanistan registered their first-ever win over Pakistan in T20 international cricket after beating the neighbours in a low-scoring thriller at Sharjah on Friday.
Former skipper Mohammed Nabi proved to be the hero of the match for Afghanistan as his unbeaten 38 helped the team overhaul the below-par target of 93 in 17.5 overs after they were reduced to 45 for 4 inside the first 10 overs.
Najibullah Zadran (17*) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (16) also made crucial contributions for the winning team.
'38 feels like a hundred'
"Congrats to everyone. Was a tough score to chase in these conditions. As a bowling unit, we wanted to keep them under 100.
"With the bat, I wanted to take responsibility and close the game. Most of the guys in our squad are playing big leagues, some have been here in the UAE for 15 days. So we were set. Thirty eight on this wicket can feel like a hundred," Nabi said after receiving his Player of the Match award.
The match was set up for the Afghan by its bowlers as they restricted Pakistan to 92 for 9 in 20 overs after being asked to field first by Babar Azam.
None of the Pakistan batters managed to even 20 runs. Imad Wasim (18), Saim Ayub (17), Tayyab Tahir (16) and captain Shadab Khan (12) were the only four who managed to score in double digits but the rest all failed to fire.
Nabi took two wickets while Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Fazalhaq Farooqi also bagged a couple of scalps each to keep the team ahead in the match.
Afghanistan lead the three-match series 1-0. The next two games will be played at the same venue on March 26 and 27.
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