In a stunning display of bowling, Pakistani all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz spearheaded his team to victory against Afghanistan in the T20 tri-nation series final, just before the Asia Cup. Nawaz’s left-arm spin proved unplayable, as he took a hat-trick, decimating the Afghan batting order. He achieved this incredible feat in his initial seven deliveries, becoming the third Pakistani bowler to secure a hat-trick in T20 Internationals. Pakistan went on to win the match by 75 runs, clinching the series.
The series served as a preparatory event for the Asia Cup 2025, hosted in the UAE, featuring UAE, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The final match occurred in Sharjah on December 7th, where Pakistan, after struggling initially to post a decent score, saw Nawaz weave his magic with the ball.
Having consistently performed well throughout the tournament, Nawaz continued his stellar form. Coming in to bowl the sixth over, he conceded just one run off the first four balls, followed by two wickets off the last two. He dismissed Darwish Rasooli and Azmatullah Omarzai, setting up the opportunity for a hat-trick.
Mohammad Haris’s stumping of Ibrahim Zadran in the eighth over allowed Nawaz to complete his hat-trick. This marked Nawaz as the third Pakistani bowler with a T20I hat-trick, joining Faheem Ashraf (2017) and Mohammad Hasnain (2019). Both previous hat-tricks by Pakistani bowlers were against Sri Lanka.
Nawaz’s dominance didn’t end with the hat-trick. He took his fourth wicket within the following three deliveries. In two overs, he conceded one run while taking four wickets. Nawaz capped off his spell by dismissing Afghan captain Rashid Khan, completing his five-wicket haul. Nawaz finished with impressive figures of 5 wickets for 19 runs in his 4 overs, achieving his first five-wicket haul in a T20 International.
Earlier, Pakistan had set a target of 142 runs. Pakistan’s innings had a difficult start, losing five wickets for 72 runs. Nawaz (25) contributed with the bat, helping to stabilize the innings. His 40-run partnership with captain Salman Agha helped take the team to a competitive score. Nawaz’s five-wicket haul then dismantled Afghanistan’s batting, with Afghanistan getting all out for 66 runs in 15.5 overs. Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem also contributed with 2 wickets each.