[WATCH] Mohammad Nabi slams a six to lift Afghanistan to their first T20I win over Pakistan
All-rounder Mohammad Nabi starred with 2/12 and an unbeaten 38 as Afghanistan beat Pakistan for the first time in T20Is. The former captain finished off the game in style, smacking Ihsanullah for a six as Afghanistan chased down 93 in 17.4 overs with six wickets in hand.
Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first in the first T20I in Sharjah. However, they came up with a very poor batting effort and were held to 92/9 in their 20 overs. Not a single Pakistan batter reached the 20 run-mark. Imad Wasim top-scored with 18, while Saim Ayub scored 17 and Tayyab Tahir 16.
For Afghanistan, Fazalhaq Farooqi (2/13), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2/9), and Nabi all came up with impressive bowling performances. The batting side lost Ibrahim Zadran (nine), Gulbadin Naib (0), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (16), and Karim Janat (seven) cheaply in the chase. However, Nabi and Najibullah Zadran (17* off 23) added an unbroken 53 runs for the fifth wicket as Afghanistan created history.
This was the ππππππ£! π
The President @MohammadNabi007 finished the job in some style to make history and win the game for Afghanistan. π€©π₯
#AfghanAtalan | #AFGvPAK | #LobaBaRangRawri https://t.co/QPdMimCEdB
The winning runs came on the penultimate ball of the 18th over as Nabi launched Ihsanullah down the ground for a maximum.
βSometimes 38 is equivalent to a 100 in conditions like theseβ - Nabi
Afghanistan all-rounder Nabi was named Player of the Match for his fantastic performance with both bat and ball. Speaking after the game, he stated that the chase was a tough one. The 38-year-old said:
βTough to chase in these conditions. As a batting group, my plan was to bat on and take responsibility. Most of the guys are playing in big leagues. Some guys came from the PSL. We wanted to do our best in the series. Sometimes 38 is equivalent to a 100 in conditions like these.β
Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan added that the team was elated to cross the line and want to continue the momentum. He stated:
βHappy with the performances. Proud to be leading this side. You don't know the wicket at Sharjah. We were trying to adjust to the wicket. We were trying to figure out what a good score was. We need to improve the top-order. We need to be much better. We need to play the right shot at the right moment. Need to keep improving day by day.β
Winning Moments - From another angle π€©
Watch the winning shot of @MohammadNabi007 from another angle as the big man sealed a historic win for Afghanistan. π₯π€©πͺ
#AfghanAtalan | #AFGvPAK | #LobaBaRangRawri https://t.co/0ljFSbwi8H
The second T20I of the three-match series will also be played in Sharjah on Sunday, March 26.