Mohammad Nawaz, the Pakistani all-rounder, delivered a phenomenal performance against Afghanistan in the T20 tri-nation series final, setting the stage for the upcoming Asia Cup. The left-arm spinner took a hat-trick, dismantling Afghanistan’s batting lineup with his masterful bowling. Nawaz secured the hat-trick within his opening seven balls, making him the third Pakistani bowler to achieve this feat in T20 Internationals. Pakistan won the match by 75 runs, securing the trophy.
The series was part of the preparations for the Asia Cup 2025, which took place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The tournament featured the UAE, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The final match was played on December 7th in Sharjah, where Pakistan first managed to build a defendable score, after which Nawaz’s spin proved to be the key factor.
Nawaz, consistent throughout the tournament, maintained his form in the final. He bowled the sixth over, giving up only one run in the first four balls and then taking two wickets in the last two balls. He dismissed Darwish Rasooli and Azmatullah Omarzai, and had the opportunity to complete a hat-trick in the following over.
On the first ball of the eighth over, Mohammad Haris caught Ibrahim Zadran out, completing Nawaz’s hat-trick. Nawaz joined Faheem Ashraf (2017) and Mohammad Hasnain (2019) as the only other Pakistani bowlers to achieve a hat-trick in T20 Internationals. Both of the previous hat-tricks were against Sri Lanka.
Nawaz didn’t stop at the hat-trick. He took his fourth wicket in the next three balls. He took four wickets in the first two overs for just one run. He concluded his spell with a wicket, dismissing the Afghan captain Rashid Khan to complete his five-wicket haul. Nawaz finished his spell with figures of 5 wickets for 19 runs in 4 overs, his first five-wicket haul in a T20 International.
Pakistan set a target of 142 runs in the final. Pakistan’s start to the innings was shaky, with five wickets down for 72 runs. Nawaz (25) was key, helping to stabilize the innings. Nawaz and captain Salman Agha shared a 40-run partnership, helping the team to a competitive score. Nawaz’s five-wicket haul led to the Afghan team’s downfall. Afghanistan was bowled out for 66 runs in 15.5 overs. Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem took 2 wickets each.
