Hey there, cricket fans! Imagine this: the sun dipping low over the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, the crowd buzzing with excitement, and two fierce rivals – Pakistan National Cricket Team vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Match Scorecard – locking horns in a T20I tri-series final. That’s exactly what went down on September 7, 2025, in the United Arab Emirates T20I Tri-Series. If you’re a die-hard cricket lover or just someone dipping their toes into the game, this match was pure drama. Pakistan, led by the cool-headed Salman Ali Agha, pulled off a stunning 75-run victory, bowling Afghanistan out for a measly 66 while defending a total of 141/8. It was a night where spin kings ruled, and one man, Mohammad Nawaz, became the hero everyone’s talking about.
Cricket has this magical way of bringing people together, doesn’t it? Especially when it’s a clash between neighbors like Pakistan and Afghanistan. These teams aren’t just playing for points; they’re playing for pride, history, and that sweet taste of bragging rights. In this article, we’ll dive deep into the scorecard, relive the key moments, chat about the players who shone (and those who struggled), and even peek at what this means for the upcoming Asia Cup. I’ll keep it simple, like we’re chatting over a cup of chai – no jargon overload, just the good stuff. And yes, we’ve got a full table breaking down every run, wicket, and boundary. Let’s get into it!
The Build-Up: Why This Match Mattered So Much
Before we hit the scorecard, let’s set the scene. This wasn’t just any game; it was the grand finale of a tri-series that included the UAE as the third team. Pakistan and Afghanistan had already tangled twice earlier in the tournament. In the opener on August 29, Pakistan edged out a 39-run win, posting 182/7 thanks to Salman Agha’s explosive 53 not out. Afghanistan looked good chasing at one point but crumbled, losing five wickets for just four runs in a collapse that still has fans shaking their heads.
Then came the rematch on September 2 – match four of the series. Afghanistan flipped the script, defending 170 to win by 18 runs. Their spinners, led by the evergreen Mohammad Nabi (2/20), choked Pakistan’s chase, bundling them out for 151. It was a gritty performance from the Afghans, showing they’re no longer the underdogs everyone assumes. Heading into the final, the series was level at 1-1 between these two, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. This win would be Pakistan’s ticket to the trophy and a confidence booster before the Asia Cup kicked off just two days later on September 9.
The venue? Sharjah, with its tricky pitches that start flat but turn into a spinner’s paradise as the game wears on. Temperatures hovered around 35°C, but the real heat was on the field. Pakistan’s squad was a mix of experienced heads like Shaheen Shah Afridi and comeback kid Mohammad Nawaz, while Afghanistan banked on Rashid Khan’s leg-spin wizardry and Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s fireworks at the top. Toss time: Salman Agha called heads and won, opting to bat first. Smart move on a deck that rewarded setting a total. Little did they know, it’d turn into a masterclass in defense.
Pakistan’s Innings: Grit Over Glamour
Pakistan’s batting card reads like a survival story rather than a fireworks display. They knew 140-150 was par on this slow burner, and they scraped together exactly that – 141/8 in 20 overs. It wasn’t pretty, but it was enough. Early on, the Afghan bowlers, especially Rashid Khan in his 100th T20I, turned the screws. He finished with 3/20, his googlies and leg-breaks bamboozling the Pakistani top order.
Openers Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan got off to a flier, adding 28 in the first three overs with some cheeky ramps and pulls. But then the collapse began. Saim holed out to deep midwicket off Fazalhaq Farooqi for 14, and Farhan followed soon after, bowled by Noor Ahmad for 18. Enter Fakhar Zaman, the aggressor, who smashed 32 off 22 with three fours and a six. He and Mohammad Rizwan (wait, no – in this squad, it was more of a middle-order shuffle) steadied things briefly.
But Rashid struck again, trapping Fakhar lbw with a pearler that jagged back in. At 72/5 after 12 overs, Pakistan were wobbling like a spinner’s top. That’s when their captain, Salman Ali Agha, and the all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz showed why they’re the glue in this side. Salman, with his calm demeanor, played a captain’s knock – 28 off 25 balls, rotating the strike and punishing the loose ones. Nawaz, though, was the real spark. He came in at No. 7 and clubbed 25 off 21, including two massive sixes off Rashid that had the Pakistani fans roaring. His partnership with Salman added crucial 40 runs, pushing the total to something defendable.
The lower order chipped in too – Faheem Ashraf hit a quick 12, but it was the extras (12 wides and no-balls from Afghanistan) that gave Pakistan a handy buffer. Bowlers like Fareed Ahmad (2/47) and Mujeeb Ur Rahman (1/22) kept things tight, but those fielding lapses cost the Afghans dear. In the end, 141/8 felt under par, but on this pitch? It was a mountain.
Afghanistan’s Nightmare Chase: A Spin-Led Meltdown
If Pakistan’s innings was a grind, Afghanistan’s was a horror show. Chasing 142, they needed to be 7+ an over, but instead, they imploded to 66 all out in just 15.5 overs. It was their second-lowest T20I total ever, just above that infamous 56 against South Africa in the 2024 World Cup semi. And the villain of the piece? Mohammad Nawaz, who turned in figures of 5/19 – his maiden T20I five-for, complete with a hat-trick!
The Afghan openers, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, started cautiously. Gurbaz, known for his explosive starts, managed 8 before edging Shaheen Afridi to slip. Zadran followed for a duck, bowled by Haris Rauf’s express bounce. At 7/2 after three overs, the writing was on the wall. Gulbadin Naib and Azmatullah Omarzai tried to rebuild, but Nawaz entered the attack and changed everything.
His first strike: Naib stumped for 5, beaten by a ripping off-break. Then came the hat-trick – Omarzai (0), Mohammad Nabi (0), and Qais Ahmad (0) all perished in consecutive deliveries. Nabi, the veteran all-rounder, couldn’t even get bat on ball, and the crowd erupted as Nawaz punched the air. It was the stuff of legends – only the third hat-trick by a Pakistani in T20Is.
Rashid Khan, captaining in his milestone game, fought back with 10 off 8, including a six, but he too fell to Nawaz, bowled middle stump. The tail couldn’t wag; Sufiyan Muqeem and Shaheen mopped up the rest. Afghanistan’s batters faced 73 dot balls, their spinners strangled by Pakistan’s own tweakers. Rashid later admitted, “We lost five wickets in the powerplay – that’s not our brand of cricket.” Harsh words, but fair. This wasn’t the fearless Afghanistan we’d seen upset Pakistan in the 2023 ODI World Cup; this was a team that caved under pressure.
The Full Pakistan National Cricket Team vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Match Scorecard: Batsmen, Bowlers, and Fielders in One Table
Alright, let’s make this easy to digest. Here’s the complete scorecard in a handy table. I’ve broken it down by innings, with batting and bowling stats. Runs, wickets, overs – everything you need at a glance. (Pro tip: If you’re on mobile, swipe to see more!)
Pakistan Innings (20 overs maximum)
Total: 141/8 (Run Rate: 7.05)
Batting
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saim Ayub | c Gurbaz b Farooqi | 14 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 140.00 |
| Sahibzada Farhan | b Noor Ahmad | 18 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 120.00 |
| Fakhar Zaman | lbw b Rashid Khan | 32 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 145.45 |
| Haseebullah Khan | c Zadran b Mujeeb | 10 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 83.33 |
| Salman Ali Agha (c) | not out | 28 | 25 | 1 | 1 | 112.00 |
| Iftikhar Ahmed | c Nabi b Fareed | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 83.33 |
| Mohammad Nawaz | c Rashid b Farooqi | 25 | 21 | 1 | 2 | 119.05 |
| Faheem Ashraf | run out (Omarzai) | 12 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 150.00 |
| Shaheen Afridi | not out | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Extras | (lb 4, w 11, nb 1) | 16 | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 8 wkts | 141 | (20) | 11 | 4 | – |
Fall of Wickets: 1-28 (Saim, 3.4 ov), 2-49 (Farhan, 6.2 ov), 3-51 (Haseebullah, 7.5 ov), 4-69 (Fakhar, 11.3 ov), 5-72 (Iftikhar, 12.4 ov), 6-112 (Nawaz, 17.2 ov), 7-130 (Faheem, 18.5 ov), 8-140 (Did not bat: Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem)
Bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fazalhaq Farooqi | 4 | 0 | 28 | 2 | 7.00 |
| Naveen-ul-Haq | 3 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 7.33 |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman | 4 | 0 | 22 | 1 | 5.50 |
| Noor Ahmad | 4 | 0 | 25 | 1 | 6.25 |
| Rashid Khan (c) | 4 | 0 | 20 | 3 | 5.00 |
| Fareed Ahmad | 1 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 17.00 |
Afghanistan Innings (Target: 142 | 20 overs maximum)
Total: 66 all out (15.5 overs | Run Rate: 4.16)
Batting
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | c Rizwan b Shaheen | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 114.29 |
| Ibrahim Zadran | b Haris Rauf | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Gulbadin Naib | st Rizwan b Nawaz | 5 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | c Saim b Nawaz (hat-trick) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Mohammad Nabi | lbw b Nawaz (hat-trick) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Qais Ahmad | b Nawaz (hat-trick) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Rashid Khan (c) | b Nawaz | 10 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 125.00 |
| Karim Janat | c Farhan b Sufiyan Muqeem | 9 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 45.00 |
| Noor Ahmad | run out (Agha) | 7 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 46.67 |
| Naveen-ul-Haq | b Shaheen Afridi | 10 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 83.33 |
| Fazalhaq Farooqi | not out | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 66.67 |
| Extras | (lb 5, w 10) | 15 | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 10 wkts | 66 | (15.5) | 2 | 1 | – |
Fall of Wickets: 1-7 (Gurbaz, 2.1 ov), 2-7 (Zadran, 2.4 ov), 3-28 (Naib, 6.3 ov), 4-28 (Omarzai, 6.4 ov), 5-28 (Nabi, 6.5 ov), 6-29 (Qais, 6.6 ov), 7-32 (Rashid, 8.2 ov), 8-55 (Karim, 13.4 ov), 9-57 (Noor, 14.1 ov), 10-66 (Naveen, 15.5 ov)
Bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shaheen Afridi | 3.5 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 3.23 |
| Haris Rauf | 3 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 2.67 |
| Sufiyan Muqeem | 3 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 5.00 |
| Mohammad Nawaz | 4 | 1 | 19 | 5 | 4.75 |
| Faheem Ashraf | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 4.50 |
Match Result: Pakistan won by 75 runs. Player of the Match: Mohammad Nawaz (25 runs & 5/19). Player of the Series: Mohammad Nawaz (120 runs & 10 wickets).
There you have it – every dot ball accounted for. Notice how Nawaz’s economy was under 5, while Pakistan’s bowlers gave away just 15 extras? Small margins, big wins.
Key Moments That Swung the Game
Cricket’s beauty is in the turning points, right? This match had a few that could fill a highlight reel.
- The Powerplay Power Cut: Afghanistan lost 5 wickets for 22 runs in the first six overs. Gurbaz’s early exit set a shaky tone, and Rauf’s bouncer to Zadran was unplayable. By the end of the powerplay, Afghanistan were 29/6 – yes, six down! That’s rarer than a no-ball hat-trick.
- Nawaz’s Hat-Trick Heroics: Overs 6.3 to 6.6 – four balls, three wickets. Naib stumped, then Omarzai, Nabi, and Qais all gone without scoring. The Sharjah stands shook; even Afghan fans clapped in respect. Nawaz later said, “The plan was simple – bowl straight on a turning track.” Understatement of the year!
- Rashid’s Milestone Mix-Up: Celebrating his 100th T20I with a wicket (Fakhar’s lbw), but then getting bowled by Nawaz for 10. That six he hit off Nawaz was a reminder of his class, but it couldn’t stem the tide.
- Salman’s Steady Hand: While stars like Fakhar got starts, it was Agha’s cool 28* that anchored the innings. His quick single to rotate with Nawaz kept the scoreboard ticking when panic could’ve set in.
These moments weren’t just stats; they were emotional rollercoasters. For a 10-year-old watching with dad, it’s the hat-trick that’ll spark dreams. For a 60-year-old veteran, it’s the reminder that cricket rewards patience.
Standout Stars: Heroes and Hard Lessons
Let’s give credit where it’s due – and a gentle nudge where needed.
Pakistan’s Heroes:
- Mohammad Nawaz: Man of the match and series. 25 quick runs, then that bowling spell. His hat-trick was the ninth by a Pakistani in international cricket. At 31, he’s proving comebacks are sweeter than debuts.
- Salman Ali Agha: Captain fantastic. His leadership in batting and sharp fielding (that run-out!) showed why he’s trusted in big games.
- Shaheen Afridi: 2/12 in 3.5 overs. Swing at the death – pure class.
Afghanistan’s Bright Spots (Amid the Blues):
- Rashid Khan: 3/20 on a personal milestone. Even in defeat, his energy lifted the side.
- Fazalhaq Farooqi: Two early wickets, nearly sparked a comeback.
But lessons abound. Afghanistan’s top order needs resilience against spin – they faced 48 balls from tweakers and scored just 22 runs off them. Pakistan, meanwhile, must convert starts into 50s. As Salman said post-match, “130-140 was always defendable here. Nawaz is our go-to guy in tough spots.”
Broader Impact: What This Means for the Pakistan National Cricket Team vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Match Scorecard Rivalry and Beyond
Pakistan National Cricket Team vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Match Scorecard rivalry is like a family feud – intense, passionate, but rooted in respect. They’ve met 12 times in T20Is now, with Pakistan leading 8-3 (one tie). This win evens the tri-series ledger, but more importantly, it’s a morale booster for Pakistan heading into the Asia Cup. With stars like Babar Azam rejoining soon, they’re primed to challenge India and others.
For Afghanistan, it’s a bump in the road. They’ve come so far since gaining full ICC status in 2017 – upsets over England, Pakistan in ODIs – but big-match nerves linger. Coach Jonathan Trott called it a “learning experience,” echoing Rashid’s words. With the Asia Cup around the corner, expect fire from Gurbaz and Co. to bounce back.
Off the field, this match highlighted cricket’s unifying power. Fans from both sides mingled in Sharjah, chanting and cheering. In a region full of tensions, that’s no small thing. And for global audiences? It shows T20’s unpredictability – one hat-trick, and heroes are made.
Wrapping Up: Why This Match Will Stick With Us
What a ride, eh? From Pakistan’s gritty 141 to Afghanistan’s shocking 66, this September 7 thriller in Sharjah was cricket at its rawest. Mohammad Nawaz’s five-for will be replayed for years, and that hat-trick? Legendary. Whether you’re a kid discovering the game or a fan who’s seen it all, moments like these remind us why we love this sport – the drama, the dreams, the sheer unpredictability.
