CHENNAI: Opener Ibrahim Zadran struck an unbeaten 95 to help Afghanistan to a crushing 82-run win over Canada on Thursday and cap off an otherwise disappointing T20 World Cup on a high.

Zadran hit seven fours and five sixes in his 56-ball knock to steer Afghanistan to 200-4 after being invited to bat first in Chennai.

Afghanistan bowlers led by veteran spinner Mohammad Nabi, with his T20 best figures of 4-7, kept Canada down to 118 for the loss of eight wickets for their second victory in the 20-team tournament.

Afghanistan, the 2024 edition semi-finalists, failed to reach the Super Eights stage after New Zealand secured the other qualification spot from Group

‘D’, which was topped by South Africa, the finalist team of the 2024 T20 World Cup.

“We were well prepared for this competition, we were very close,” said Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan. “The game against South Africa [lost in a double super over] put us on the back foot and that hurt us.”

The Afghans put up a dominant show in their last group match with Zadran leading the batting with his half-century and a 95-run third-wicket partnership with Sediqullah Atal, who made 44.

It was the last match for former England batter Jonathan Trott as coach of Afghanistan after he took over the job in July 2022.

Canada were never in the chase and ended the tournament without a win in four matches.

SCOREBOARD

AFGHANISTAN:

Rahmanullah Gurbaz c Samra b Buttar 30

Ibrahim Zadran not out 95

Gulbadin Naib lbw Buttar 1

Sediqullah Atal c Heyliger b Buttar 44

Azmatullah Omarzai c Thaker b Heyliger 13

Darwish Rasooli not out 4

EXTRAS (B-6, LB-1, NB-1, W-5) 13

TOTAL (for four wickets, 20 overs) 200

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-47 (Gurbaz), 2-49 (Naib), 3-144 (Atal), 4-175 (Omarzai)

DID NOT BAT: Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (c), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Ziaur Rahman, Abdollah Ahmadzai

BOWLING: Sana 3-0-23-0 (1w); Heyliger 4-0-41-1 (1w); Bajwa 3-0-18-0; Buttar 4-0-52-3 (3w, 1nb); Zafar 3-0-35-0; Patel 3-0-24-0

CANADA:

Y. Samra c Omarzai b Nabi 17

D.S. Bajwa b Mujeeb 13

N. Dhaliwal c Rasooli b Omarzai 0

H. Thaker c Mujeeb b Nabi 30

N. Kirton c Zadran b Nabi 10

S. Movva c Rahman b Rashid 2

S.B. Zafar b Rashid 28

D. Heyliger c Ahmadzai b Nabi 3

J.S. Buttar not out 7

A. Patel not out 2

EXTRAS (LB-5, W-1) 6

TOTAL (for eight wickets, 20 overs) 118

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-25 (Bajwa), 2-30 (Dhaliwal), 3-33 (Samra), 4-43 (Kirton), 5-48 (Movva), 6-101 (Thaker), 7-105 (Zafar), 8-105 (Heyliger)

DID NOT BAT: K. Sana

BOWLING: Mujeeb 4-0-23-1; Omarzai 2-0-18-1; Nabi 4-0-7-4; Ahmadzai 3-0-22-0; Rashid 4-0-19-2; Rahman 3-0-24-0 (1w)

RESULT: Afghanistan won by 82 runs.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Ibrahim Zadran

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2026