Afghanistan vs Canada T20 World Cup Highlights: AFG end their campaign on strong note; beat CAN by 82 runs

Ziaur Rahman Sharifi bowls a tight final over to wrap things up. Ansh Patel manages just a single, while Jaskaran Singh struggles to get anything away as Sharifi nails his yorkers and mixes in a clever slower ball.

There is one last moment of drama on the final delivery. Sharifi fires in a pacy yorker that strikes Jaskaran on the pad, and the umpire raises his finger. Jaskaran reviews immediately, and ball-tracking shows it missing leg stump, a successful review, but it only delays the inevitable.

Canada finish on 118/8, falling well short of the target. Afghanistan dominate with the ball and close out a comprehensive 82-run victory.

Abdullah Ahmadzai keeps attacking the blockhole in the 19th over. Jaskaran Singh twice clears his front leg looking to flick but misses as the yorkers sneak through, one even goes between his legs to the keeper.

There is brief drama when a sharp yorker strikes Jaskaran on the back leg and rolls away to the fine leg fence for four leg byes. Afghanistan review for lbw at the keeper’s insistence, but ball-tracking shows it pitching outside leg, a wasted review.

Ahmadzai then misses his yorker and serves up a full toss, and Jaskaran makes him pay by clubbing it over deep midwicket for six. The over ends with another pinpoint yorker that beats the bat.

CAN 117/8 after 19 overs

Mohammad Nabi continues to chip away at the tail. He strikes first ball of the over as Dilon Heyliger swings hard at a flighted delivery and gets a leading edge that lobs towards backward point. Rahmanullah Gurbaz calls for it and even collides slightly, but Abdullah Ahmadzai stands firm and completes the catch safely. Another wicket falls.

Ansh Patel arrives and nudges a single to square leg, while Jaskaran Singh survives a huge moment of confusion. Attempting a slog-sweep, he top-edges it high in the air. Gurbaz circles under it, short fine leg hesitates, and in the end the keeper puts it down, much to the amusement of the Afghan fielders.

Jaskaran manages a single off the last ball, but it is another controlled over from Nabi as Afghanistan edge closer to sealing the game.

Rashid Khan returns to deliver another decisive blow. Dilon Heyliger struggles early, missing a googly and then managing just singles to long-on and midwicket as Rashid keeps mixing his variations cleverly.

Saad Bin Zafar tries to counter with a hurried pull for one, but Rashid has the final say. Tossing it up from around the wicket, he tempts Saad into a big shot over extra cover. Saad swings through the line and misses, beaten on the inside edge as the ball crashes into the stumps. Saad departs for 28.

Jaskaran Singh comes to the crease and safely negotiates the final ball. Another wicket for Rashid as Afghanistan close in on victory.

Mohammad Nabi returns and strikes immediately to end the promising partnership. He floats up a gentle off-break that holds slightly on the surface, and Harsh Thaker goes for the slogsweep. The ball takes the top edge and lobs towards short fine leg, where Mujeeb Ur Rahman settles under it safely. Thaker departs for a fighting 30, and Canada lose their sixth wicket.

Dilon Heyliger walks in but finds it tough to get going. Nabi keeps it tight, mixing flight and subtle pace changes. Heyliger inside-edges one to midwicket and wears another while attempting a slog, managing just a single through midwicket. Saad Bin Zafar survives a faint caught-behind appeal off the pad on the final ball.

CAN 102/6 after 16 overs.

Saad Bin Zafar starts the over positively against Mujeeb Ur Rahman, pouncing on a drag-down and pulling it powerfully into the gap between deep midwicket and long-on for four. It is a rare loose ball and Saad makes sure it disappears.

The rest of the over is about smart rotation. Saad and Harsh Thaker work singles to backward point, short fine leg and long-off, bringing up a fighting fifty partnership in the process. Saad finishes with a firm drive past the bowler for two, as long-on and long-off nearly collide while chasing it down.

Ten runs come from the over, but with the asking rate still soaring, Canada need many more big hits to turn the tide.

Canada need 100 runs in 30 balls.

Saad Bin Zafar starts the over with a flick to long leg for a single, while Harsh Thaker miscues a low full toss down to mid-off for one more.

Ahmadzai then bangs it in hard from around the wicket, extracting bounce and beating Saad’s attempted swing. But when the pacer takes the pace off and drops it short and wide, Saad capitalises, hopping and cutting it backward of square for a much-needed four past third man.

A dot ball follows as Saad lets a sharp short delivery go, before drilling a pitched-up ball to mid-off for a single.

CAN 91/5 after 14 overs.

Rashid Khan begins the over with drama as Afghanistan review an lbw decision against Saad Bin Zafar. Saad is beaten for pace while attempting a flick and is struck on the front pad, but ball-tracking confirms it pitches outside leg. Afghanistan lose the review.

Saad then survives a missed slog at a wide googly before breaking free. A fraction short from Rashid is pounced upon, he rocks back and pulls it powerfully through midwicket for four, striking against the spin with confidence. A single follows, and Harsh Thaker chips in with a couple tickled fine to fine leg off a quick googly.

Seven runs come from the over, but the required rate continues to climb as Canada’s task grows steeper.

At the 12-over mark, Canada are 77/5 and staring at a daunting equation. The current run rate sits at 6.42, but the required rate has skyrocketed to 15.5.

They need 124 runs from just 48 balls, a massive ask from here.

Saad Bin Zafar is unbeaten on 8 off 9, while Harsh Thaker is fighting hard with 25 from 19 deliveries, striking at over 130.

With five wickets already down and the asking rate climbing rapidly, Canada need something extraordinary in the final eight overs to stay in the contest.

Rashid Khan continues to probe with slip in place. Saad Bin Zafar swings and misses at a googly to start before pushing a fuller ball back to the bowler. Then comes the counterattack, Rashid drops one right in the slot from deep in the crease, and Saad clears his front leg to power it high over long-on for six.

The drama follows immediately. A sharp legbreak strikes Saad on the front pad, and Afghanistan go up in a loud appeal. The umpire says no, but Rashid reviews. Ball-tracking shows it clipping off stump, umpire’s call, meaning the on-field decision stands and Afghanistan retain the review.

Rashid finishes the over tightly, conceding no further runs as the pressure remains firmly on Canada.

CAN 66/5 after 11 overs

Harsh Thaker finally breaks the shackles against Ziaur Rahman Sharifi. After cutting a back-of-a-length delivery straight to backward point, he makes the next one count, a short ball with width is fiercely carved up and over backward point for four.

Sharifi then goes fuller, and Thaker responds emphatically. With a straight bat and a clean swing through the line, he launches it straight down the ground for a towering six, holding his pose as the ball sails into the stands.

The over ends with a single apiece and a sharp bouncer that beats Thaker for pace. Still, 12 valuable runs come from it as Canada search for momentum amid the pressure.

Rashid Khan makes an immediate impact. He begins with a teasing googly that sneaks past Harsh Thaker’s inside edge and just bounces over middle stump. Thaker manages a couple of singles, one clipped to deep midwicket and another sliced behind point.

Shreyas Movva tries to settle, pushing one to long-on, but Rashid keeps him guessing with sharp turn and subtle variations. The pressure tells on the final ball of the over. Movva looks to play it safely but ends up offering a catch, and Abdullah Ahmadzai completes it comfortably.

Another wicket falls as Afghanistan tighten their grip, leaving Canada in deep trouble.

Mohammad Nabi continues to weave his magic and picks up another crucial wicket. Nicholas Kirton attempts a reverse-sweep first ball but gets hit on the glove. Moments later, tempted by a flighted full delivery, Kirton looks to go big down the ground. There is just enough spin to disrupt his timing, and the ball skies high towards long-on where Ibrahim Zadran settles under it safely. Kirton departs for 10, handing Nabi his second wicket.

Shreyas Movva walks in and looks to get going with a worked single to the leg-side, while Harsh Thaker clips one through square leg for another run. Nabi keeps it slow and probing, giving little away as Canada continue to lose momentum under mounting pressure.

CAN 45/4 after 8 overs.

Nicholas Kirton injects some momentum into Canada’s innings against Abdullah Ahmadzai. After missing a wide skiddy delivery and taking a blow on the body while attempting a pull, Kirton regains composure. A tight short-of-length ball is pushed back to the bowler before he shifts gears.

Spotting the pace-off delivery, Kirton clears his front leg and flays it confidently through extra cover for four. He follows it up in style — shimmying down the track, moving leg-side and slapping another short-of-length ball past mid-off. It just evades the fielder and races to the fence.

A single to end the over caps off a much-needed positive passage for Canada as Kirton begins to counterattack.

CAN 43/3 after 7 overs.

Mohammad Nabi joins the attack and strikes immediately to push Canada further into trouble. Harsh Thaker nudges a quick single to start the over, but Nabi soon delivers the breakthrough. Yuvraj Samra looks to flick a fullish off-break, only to get a leading edge as the ball spins away slightly. It lobs gently to backward point where Azmatullah Omarzai completes a simple catch. Samra departs for 17, and Canada lose their third wicket inside six overs.

Nicholas Kirton walks in with a slip in place and survives a testing spell from Nabi, who keeps it full and probing around off and middle. Kirton manages just a single off the final ball, inside-edging to square leg. Drinks are taken with Canada struggling at 34/3 after six overs.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman continues to apply the squeeze with another disciplined over. Yuvraj Samra punches the first ball straight back before surviving a loud lbw appeal, struck high on the pad while shaping across the line, but it is sliding down leg. They sneak a leg bye.

Harsh Thaker then struggles to find gaps as Mujeeb varies his pace cleverly. A couple of full deliveries are clipped and turned straight to midwicket, while a quicker ball is punched back down the pitch. Thaker finally manages a single off the last ball, dragging a pull off the inner edge to short fine leg, aided by a wild throw.

Just two runs from the over as Afghanistan keep Canada under pressure.

Azmatullah Omarzai continues to hit hard lengths and finds another breakthrough. Yuvraj Samra begins the over cautiously before producing a stylish boundary, backing away and cutting over cover-point for four. He follows it with a single to deep backward point.

Then comes a big moment. Omarzai offers width on a short-of-a-length delivery and Navneet Dhaliwal slashes hard at it, but he picks out deep backward point perfectly. Darwish Rasooli moves in calmly and takes a safe catch. Dhaliwal departs for a duck in his farewell match, and there’s a warm embrace from Rashid Khan as he walks off.

Harsh Thaker arrives at the crease and defends the final ball to short third man. Canada slip further as Afghanistan tighten their grip.

CAN 30/2 after 4 overs.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman pulls things back brilliantly for Afghanistan. Yuvraj Samra starts the over with a single to long-on, but then comes the breakthrough. Mujeeb fires in a sharp googly, and Dilpreet Bajwa backs away to slash through the covers, only to get a faint inside edge that crashes onto the leg stump. The captain departs for 13 off 7, and Canada lose their first wicket at 25.

Navneet Dhaliwal walks in but finds Mujeeb unplayable. The Afghan spinner keeps it full and probing, drawing solid blocks and a firm drive straight to mid-off. A leading edge rolls harmlessly to cover to end the over. Just one run and a wicket, a superb spell from Mujeeb as Canada move to 25/1 after 3 overs.

Azmatullah Omarzai’s first over goes for runs as Dilpreet Bajwa plays a captain’s knock early. Yuvraj Samra begins with a flick for a single before Bajwa takes centre stage. A fuller delivery that shapes away is met with pure timing, Bajwa leans into it and lifts it beautifully over deep extra cover for six.

Omarzai bangs one in short next, but Bajwa misses the attempted upper cut. There’s a brief moment of tension when a push down the pitch ricochets off the bowler’s fingers onto the non-striker’s stumps, a run-out appeal follows, but Samra is safely in.

And then the statement blow. Bajwa charges down, shifts leg-side and whips the inswinger effortlessly over deep mid-wicket for another six. A 13-run over, and Canada show early intent in the chase.

CAN 24/0 after 2 overs.

Canada start positively against Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Yuvraj Samra wastes no time, first ball, width on offer, and he rocks back to cut it crisply in front of square for four. Mujeeb fires one into the pads next, beating the flick, but Samra responds by knocking a full ball down to long-on for a single.

With a slip in place and Mujeeb switching angles, Dilpreet Bajwa gets off strike with a driven single through cover. Samra then cashes in again when Mujeeb goes short and wide, slapped firmly through point for another boundary. He finishes the over by bunting one down to long-on.

A confident start from Canada despite facing a quality operator first up.

CAN 11/0 after 1 over.