Afghanistan came up short in the UAE Tri-Nation T20 Series final on Sunday, losing to Pakistan by 75 runs at Sharjah Stadium.
Batting first, Pakistan were held to 141 for 8 in their 20 overs, with Rashid Khan taking three wickets for 38 runs. Noor Ahmad (2-17), Fazalhaq Farooqi (2-19) and Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar (1-19) also contributed with the ball to restrict the scoring.
Afghanistan, however, collapsed in reply, managing only 66 runs in 15.5 overs before being bowled out. None of the batters reached 30 runs, and Pakistan secured victory by a wide margin.
The result capped an up-and-down tournament for Afghanistan, who had entered the final after three group-stage wins — two against the United Arab Emirates and one against Pakistan. Their 18-run win over Pakistan in the group stage marked Afghanistan’s first victory over their rivals in this series, but Pakistan had also beaten them once earlier by 39 runs.
The tri-nation tournament, hosted in Sharjah, was seen as part of preparations for next year’s T20 World Cup. Afghanistan’s campaign ended with three wins and two losses, while Pakistan took the trophy with a strong all-round performance in the final.
