Afghanistan beat West Indies by 23 runs in a men’s T20 World Cup warm-up match on Wednesday, posting 182 for six before restricting the Caribbean side to 159 for seven.
Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran led Afghanistan’s batting, with Gurbaz scoring 43 off 28 balls and Zadran hitting 51 off 34 before retiring out. Azmatullah Omarzai added a brisk 35 off 15 balls, while Darwish Rasooli made 27, helping Afghanistan reach a competitive total.
West Indies’ Gudakesh Motie and Roston Chase took a wicket apiece, but the bowlers struggled to contain Afghanistan’s scoring in the final overs.
In reply, West Indies were led by Matthew Forde, who remained unbeaten on 52 off 26 balls, and Rovman Powell, who scored 32. Jason Holder added an unbeaten 25, but regular wickets slowed the chase.
Afghanistan’s bowlers shared the wickets, with Azmatullah Omarzai, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman among those to strike as West Indies fell short despite a late push.
The match was part of preparations ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, with teams using the warm-up fixtures to finalize combinations before the tournament begins.
