Afghanistan vs West Indies 3rd T20I Highlights: Shamar Springer's hat-trick powers West Indies to win by 15 runs

West Indies produced a superb all-round effort to defeat Afghanistan by 15 runs in a thrilling third T20I, defending 151 with discipline and brilliance in the field.

Ramon Simmonds kept his composure in the final over, conceding just four runs, while sharp fielding, highlighted by a crucial run-out, sealed the win. Afghanistan finished on 136/8, handing West Indies a hard-fought victory in the final clash of the series.

The chaos continued in the final over as Afghanistan suffered yet another setback. Gulbadin Naib pushed the ball for a quick single, but sharp work in the field from West Indies resulted in a run-out at the striker’s end. Mujeeb was caught short after a swift pickup and accurate throw, with the dismissal officially recorded as run out.

Afghanistan are 128/7 after 19 overs. they need 20 runs off the last six balls. Can Gulbadin Naib and Mujeeb Ur Rahman power their side to win?

Absolute chaos in the 19th over as Shamar Springer ripped through Afghanistan with three wickets in three balls, turning the match dramatically in West Indies’ favour.

It began with the big one, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, set on 71, was brilliantly caught by Matthew Forde at deep midwicket after a superb overhead effort near the ropes.

Springer followed it up by dismissing Rashid Khan for a golden duck, Khary Pierre holding a sensational reverse-cupped catch at deep third man.

Off the very next delivery, Springer completed the triple strike, bowling Shahidullah first ball to take a hat-trick. Afghanistan are suddenly in deep trouble as West Indies’ exceptional fielding and Springer's spell flipped the contest on its head in the third T20I.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz takes charge of the chase, driving Afghanistan closer to the target with a flurry of boundaries in the 18th over. After a tidy start by Khary Pierre, Gurbaz unleashed back-to-back fours, sweeping high and low full-tosses over the infield to the ropes. Singles from both Gurbaz and Gulbadin Naib help to rotate the strike, bringing Afghanistan to 127/4 after 18 overs.

West Indies struck a crucial blow as Fabian Simmonds dismissed Najibullah Nabi in the 17th over. Nabi attempted a big heave over long-on off a full-toss outside off, but didn’t get enough elevation, sending the ball hard and flat toward the fielder.

Shamar Springer reacted brilliantly, sprinting and sliding to his left to complete a soft-handed catch. Nabi fell for 6 off 4, leaving Afghanistan under pressure with 39 needed from the final 18 balls in the third T20I.

The game tightened significantly as Afghanistan reached 107/3 after 16 overs. A cluster of wickets in the middle overs slowed the chase, pushing the required rate up to 11.25. With 45 runs needed from the final 24 balls, the onus is now on the new batters to find boundaries quickly.

Another twist in the chase as Khary Pierre produced a sharp return catch to dismiss Darwish Rasooli. Rasooli hit it hard and flat straight back at the bowler, and Pierre reacted instinctively to get his hands under the ball. The catch was checked by the third umpire for a possible bump ball, but replays confirmed it was clean. Rasooli departed for 4 off 5, and West Indies continued to apply pressure as wickets began to fall in the 16th over.

West Indies clawed back into the contest as Shamar Springer struck with his first ball of the new spell. Bowling a clever slower delivery that straightened, Springer induced Sediqullah Atal into playing away from his body, resulting in a thin outside edge. Johnson Charles made no mistake behind the stumps as Atal departed for 7 off 11.

Afghanistan continued their steady chase, moving to 72 without loss after 10 overs. Rahmanullah Gurbaz anchored the stand with 38 off 34, while Ibrahim Zadran played the support role on 28 off 26. With 80 runs needed from 60 balls at a required rate of 8, Afghanistan remain in control, having preserved wickets and kept the chase on track in the third T20I.

Afghanistan made a confident start to the chase, reaching 42 without loss at the end of five overs. Ibrahim Zadran set the tempo with a fluent 22 off 15, smashing four boundaries, while Rahmanullah Gurbaz settled in with 16 off 15. With 110 needed off 90 balls at a required rate of 7.33, Afghanistan look well placed in the run chase against West Indies in the third T20I.

Afghanistan got off to a flying start in the chase, collecting 16 runs from a chaotic opening over. Extras hurt West Indies early, with multiple wides gifting Afghanistan easy runs, before Ibrahim Zadran capitalised with back-to-back boundaries. Zadran moved to 9 off 4 balls, while Rahmanullah Gurbaz chipped in with a quick 3 off 2, as Afghanistan began the pursuit of 152 with clear intent.

Afghanistan capped off an impressive bowling effort to restrict West Indies to 151/7 at the end of 20 overs in the third T20I.

After a solid start at the top, WI lost their way through the middle and death overs, with regular wickets halting momentum. Shamar Springer’s late cameo of 16 off 9 lifted the total past 150, while Gudakesh Motie remained unbeaten on 2.

At the innings break, the target looks competitive but chaseable, setting up an intriguing second half.

Ziaur Rahman Sharifi struck again in the penultimate over, ending Roston Forde’s brisk cameo. Forde tried to be cheeky with a premeditated lap, but Sharifi smartly followed him with a very full delivery, leaving no room to execute the shot. The ball popped up off the bat, and Gulbadin, running back from short fine leg, fumbled initially but recovered well to complete the catch.

Forde’s attacking 27 off 11 came to an end as Afghanistan continued to dominate the death overs in the third T20I.

Afghanistan tightened their grip further as Ziaur Rahman Sharifi removed Quentin Sampson in the 18th over. Bowling it short and wide outside off, Sharifi tempted Sampson into the pull, but the batter hit it flat and straight to deep midwicket. Sediqullah Atal made no mistake with the catch as Sampson departed for 3 off 7, continuing West Indies’ collapse in the latter stages of the third T20I.

Rashid Khan turned the game on its head with a devastating over, sending West Indies into a slide after a stabilised start. He first dismissed Brandon King, who holed out to deep midwicket while attempting a slog-sweep, ending a well-made 47 off 35. Moments later, Rashid struck again as Shimron Hetmyer shuffled across too far and was bowled around his legs, leaving him stunned on 13 off 6. West Indies suddenly lost momentum, with Rashid’s double strike putting Afghanistan firmly in control of the third T20I.

Afghanistan tightened the screws in the middle overs, reducing West Indies to 64/ 2 at the halfway stage of the innings. Despite Brandon King continuing to anchor the innings with an aggressive 34 off 21 balls, the scoring rate dipped to 6.4. Justin Greaves is just settling in on 2 off 3, as Afghanistan’s bowlers apply pressure and look to contain King in this crucial third T20I after opting to bowl first.

Afghanistan struck at a crucial moment as Abdullah Ahmadzai removed Keacy Carty in the 10th over. Bowling short, Ahmadzai tempted Carty into a pull, but the batter was late on the shot and failed to get proper timing. The ball ballooned towards deep midwicket where Ziaur Rahman Sharifi judged it well, running in to complete the catch. Carty departed for 10 off 19, giving Afghanistan their second breakthrough in the third T20I.

West Indies keep the scoreboard ticking, reaching 56/1 at the end of eight overs with a healthy run rate of 7.

Brandon King leads the charge, striking 33 off just 19 balls, including two fours and three sixes, showing clear intent at the crease. At the other end, Keacy Carty is playing a supporting role with a cautious 5 off 12.

AFG vs WI Live Score 3rd T20I: Mujeeb Ur Rahman continued to apply the squeeze, conceding just three runs in the sixth over as West Indies moved to 43/1.

Brandon King rotated the strike calmly while Keacy Carty struggled to break free against the off-spinner’s accuracy. The big moment came on 5.5 when Afghanistan went upstairs for a caught-behind appeal, but UltraEdge showed the spike came off the thigh pad, not the bat, costing Afghanistan a review.

Breakthrough for Afghanistan straightaway. Shahidullah makes an instant impact, bowling Johnson Charles with his very first delivery. Charles backed away looking to force one through the off side but missed completely, seeing his stumps rattled. A frustrated Charles walks back for 17 off 17, leaving West Indies 27/1 after 4.1 overs.

West Indies made a cautious yet positive start after Afghanistan opted to bowl first. At the end of four overs, WI are 27 without loss, ticking along at a run rate of 6.75.

Openers Johnson Charles (17 off 16) and Brandon King (9 off 8) kept things steady against disciplined bowling, with Mujeeb Ur Rahman conceding just 11 runs from his two overs. Ziaur Rahman Sharifi was slightly expensive, going for 15, as the visitors look to build a platform in this crucial series finale.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Shahidullah Kamal, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan(c), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Ziaur Rahman Sharifi, Abdullah Ahmadzai

Brandon King(c), Keacy Carty, Johnson Charles(w), Shimron Hetmyer, Quentin Sampson, Matthew Forde, Justin Greaves, Khary Pierre, Shamar Springer, Gudakesh Motie, Ramon Simmonds

Afghanistan have won the toss and opted to bowl first.

No television channel in India will telecast the Afghanistan vs West Indies 3rd T20I in India. But fans can still watch the Afghanistan vs West Indies 2nd T20I on FanCode app and website.

Brandon King (c), Keacy Carty, Johnson Charles (wk), Alick Athanaze, Shimron Hetmyer, Gudakesh Motie, Justin Greaves, Matthew Forde, Khary Pierre, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales

Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Gulbadin Naib Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Md. Nabi, Rashid Khan (c), Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi

The match will begin at 8:00 PM IST and the toss is scheduled at 7:30 PM IST.

Hello and welcome to the live coverage of third T20I between Afghanistan and West Indies in Dubai.