Chennai, Feb 19 – Veteran off-spin bowler Mohammad Nabi produced a stunning performance, taking 4 wickets for 7 runs, as Afghanistan defeated Canada by 82 runs in their final Group D match, and concluded their 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup campaign on a high note at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday.
Inserted to bat first, Afghanistan amassed 200/4, thanks to Ibrahim Zadran’s unbeaten 95, his second consecutive fifty in the tournament. Sediqullah Atal contributed 44, allowing Afghanistan to reach 200 for the first time in the tournament. Canadian pacer Jaskaran Singh was the most successful bowler for Canada, taking 3 wickets for 52, but the visitors struggled to contain Afghanistan's momentum in the final overs, which yielded 69 runs.
Canada's reply began strongly, with Yuvraj Samra scoring boundaries in the opening over and Dilpreet Bajwa clearing the ropes twice in the next over. However, their momentum quickly faded as Mujeeb Ur Rahman dismissed Bajwa, Navneet Dhaliwal was out for a duck in his last international game, and Nabi dismissed Samra, leaving Canada reeling at 33/3 within the powerplay.
From there, Afghanistan's spinners tightened the screws. Skipper Rashid Khan took 2 wickets for 19, while Nabi's skillful bowling proved decisive as he dismissed the middle order. Canada's resistance was brief, with Harsh Thaker (30) and captain Saad bin Zafar (28) putting up a 53-run stand. However, the chase never recovered from the early collapse, and they eventually finished at 118/8 in their 20 overs.
This result gave Afghanistan a convincing finish to their campaign, despite falling short of reaching the Super Eight stage, with Jonathan Trott overseeing his final match as their head coach. For Canada, the defeat marked the end of a spirited run, and offered glimpses of promise from their younger players.
The target of 201 was always going to be challenging, although Samra and Bajwa had started well. However, their chase quickly unravelled as Mujeeb dismissed Bajwa with a googly, Dhaliwal was dismissed for a duck in five balls, and Nabi dismissed Samra on his very first ball, caught by deep backward point.
Nabi continued his impressive form, dismissing Nicholas Kirton and later Thaker, finishing with his best-ever figures in a T20 World Cup. Rashid Khan took out Shreyas Movva and bin Zafar, as the middle order struggled under relentless spin pressure, allowing Afghanistan to end their campaign on a high.
Previously, Afghanistan had made a steady start before Canada hit back in the sixth over, with pacer Jaskaran Singh dismissing Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Gulbadin Naib in four consecutive balls. Zadran then anchored the innings, supported by Atal in a 95-run stand off 59 balls for the third wicket. Zadran reached his second consecutive fifty in the tournament, while Atal was dismissed in the 16th over for 44 off 32 balls.
Zadran, who had been dropped on 54 by Dhaliwal, capitalized on the reprieve to steer Afghanistan to exactly 200 in a 56-ball vigil, with seven fours and five sixes at a strike-rate of 169.64. Afghanistan reached 49 in the powerplay but suffered a wobble when Gurbaz, who had been dangerous with a series of boundaries, was dismissed attempting one shot too many, while Naib was trapped in front by a full delivery that skidded on.
This double blow briefly checked Afghanistan's momentum, but Zadran, calm and composed, found an able ally in Atal. The pair mixed calculated risk with fluent strokeplay. Atal, who hit seven boundaries in his 44, was dismissed while trying to accelerate, but by then the innings had been firmly stabilized.
Zadran made the most of the reprieve given to him by Dhaliwal on 54 with drives, sweeps, and lofted strokes to keep the scoreboard ticking. His innings combined patience with power, and the ability to shift gears in the middle overs ensured that Afghanistan never lost sight of a big total.
Canada's bowlers had moments of control, but their lines and lengths faltered under pressure in the death overs. Afghanistan capitalized, scoring 69 runs in the final five overs, with Zadran ensuring boundaries flowed and setting the stage for their dominant victory.
Brief scores:
Afghanistan 200/4 in 20 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 95 not out, 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
