Najibullah Zadran. (Photo Source: Fancode)
On Sunday, March 27, Pakistan denied Afghanistan a clean sweep as they won the third and final T20I of the three-match series but eventually ended up losing it 1-2. Afghanistan were brilliant in the first two games of the series as they clinched back-to-back victories, thereby winning the series early with a game to spare.
Things did not go their way in the third T20I as Afghanistan could not complete the chase. After Pakistan posted a target of 183 runs, Afghanistan batters were dished out for a paltry 116 in 18.4 overs. While all the batters were dismissed, Najibullah Zadran had to walk back retired hurt on the very first delivery that he faced in the game.
Zadran was hit on the chin by Ihsanullah, and started bleeding which led to him leaving the game and walking back to the pavilion. Azmatullah Omarzai walked in as a concussion substitute for Najibullah and he scored 21 runs off 20 deliveries, but nothing much was possible as his wicket put curtains on Afghanistan’s innings. As a result, the Rashid Khan-led side lost the encounter by 66 runs.
Zadran came out to bat in the 11th over after Mohammad Nabi was run out on the second delivery of the over. A shorter delivery by Ihsanullah led to Najibullah trying to fend it away. The batter got a leading edge and the ball deflected to directly hit his chin, which led to all the bleeding. The team physio rushed to the ground, but the seriousness of the injury resulted in him taking Najibullah off the field.
Pakistan lose the series but finish on a high
Speaking of the game, combined efforts from Pakistan batters helped the side post a winning total. Saim Ayub emerged as the top scorer for his side with his 40-ball 49, followed by Iftikhar Ahmed (31 iff 25). Though not a single batter could get a half-century, Pakistan managed to get a defendable total of 182/7 on the board.
During Afghanistan’s chase, Ihsanullah and skipper Shadab Khan finished with three wickets each which helped their side dismantle the opposition’s batting unit. Imad Wasim, Zaman Khan, and Mohammad Wasim Jr. finished with one wicket apiece, and Afghanistan collapsed from 71/4 to 73/7 in no time, which also included Zadran walking off hurt. As a result, Pakistan ended the series on a high note.