Afghanistan edge past UAE in last-over thriller

SHARJAH: Afghanistan pulled off a nail-biting win over the United Arab Emirates (UAE), clinching victory by just four runs in their tri-series clash at Sharjah on Friday.

Batting first, Afghanistan posted 170 for four in their 20 overs.

Skipper Ibrahim Zadran led from the front with a brisk 48 off 35 balls, while Rahmanullah Gurbaz chipped in with 40.

Karim Janat’s explosive 28 from 14 balls and Gulbadin Naib’s unbeaten 20 ensured a strong finish despite UAE’s bowlers keeping things tight in the middle overs.

RESULT | AFGHANISTAN WON BY 4 RUNS 🚨

Things went right down to the wire, but Fareed Ahmad and #AfghanAtalan held their nerves to defend 17 runs off the final over and beat UAE by 4 runs for their 3rd successive victory in the #UAETriNationSeries. 👏#UAEvAFG |… pic.twitter.com/7qeVdDPoWc

— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) September 5, 2025

For the hosts, Haider Ali was the standout, grabbing two wickets for just 23 runs, while Simranjeet Singh bowled with control, conceding 24 and picking up a wicket.

In reply, UAE fought hard but fell just short at 166 for five.

Captain Muhammad Waseem top-scored with a fiery 44 from 29 balls, supported by Asif Khan’s 40 off 28 deliveries.

Despite a strong start, Afghanistan’s spinners pegged back the innings, with Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Sharafuddin Ashraf and Abdollah Ahmadzai sharing a wicket apiece.

The match came down to the final over, but Afghanistan held their nerve to secure a narrow win.

The last-over thriller provided cricket enthusiasts with plenty of entertainment, even though the contest was considered a dead rubber, since the finalists of the tri-nation series had already been decided.

The winning side will now meet Pakistan in the tri-series final on September 7.

From Afghanistan’s strategy in today’s contest against the UAE, it became clear that they are taking Sunday’s title clash with Pakistan very seriously.

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They kept their powder dry for the final battle by resting six players, including skipper Rashid Khan.

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Mohammad Nabi, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, A.M. Ghazanfar, and Fazalhaq Farooqi also sat out.