AFG vs PAK 1st T20I: Afghanistan Script History, Beat Pakistan For First-Time Ever In T20Is - Watch

Mohammad Nabi was named as Player of the match for his match-winning run-a-ball 38 not-out and two wickets from three overs against Pakistan in the first T20I.

Source: Twitter

Afghanistan men's cricket team wrote history on Friday (March 24) when the defeated Pakistan by 6 wickets in the first T20I of the three-match series at Sharjah cricket stadium in UAE. This was the first time that Afghanistan have beaten Pakistan in this format of the game. It was quite a dominant win too as Afghanistan bowled out Pakistan for their fifth lowest total ever in T20Is before chasing it down with 2.1 overs remaining in the game. After winning the toss, Pakistan opted to bat first and finished with just 92 for 9 in their alloted 20 overs. Imad Wasim top-scored with 18 off 32 deliveries as Pakistan struggled throughout the innings. 

Afghanistan used six bowlers and all of them picked at least one wicket. Rashid led from the front and finished with a spell of 1 for 15 from his four. Faalhaq Farooqi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Nabi picked 2 wickets each while Azamatullah and Naveen-ul-Haq got a wicket each. This was a second-string Pakistan outfit alright with stars like Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi missing, but Afghans ensured they took big advantage of it and displayed a brilliant effort.

This was the ______! _

The President @MohammadNabi007 finished the job in some style to make history and win the game for Afghanistan. __#AfghanAtalan | #AFGvPAK | #LobaBaRangRawri pic.twitter.com/QPdMimCEdB — Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) March 24, 2023

Chasing the target, Afghanistan openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran got off to a sedate start before three wickets fell inside the powerplay for not many runs. Karim Janat too departed quickly. But just then Nabi and Najibullah Zadran got together and stitched an unbeaten partnership of 53 runs to take Afghanistan hom with 6 wickets and 13 balls in hand. 

The Afghanistan dressing room was ecstatic and celebrated the historic win in style. 

Nabi was named the Player of the Match for his match-winning knock and two important wickets. He rated his unbeaten 38 equal to a century as it came during a tough chase. "Tough 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," Nabi said in the post-match presentation ceremony.