Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan Shine as Afghanistan Beat Ireland to Level the Series

Mohammad Nabi (59 & 1/14) and Rashid Khan (25 & 4/14) put on some incredible all-round show to help Afghanistan beat Ireland by 10 runs in the second T20I match and level the three-match T20I series 1-1. 

Afghanistan opted to bat first and was restricted to 14/4 in the 4th over but Mohammad Nabi (59) and Sediqullah Atal (35) shared an important 79-run stand for the 5th wicket to build Afghanistan’s fightback. Mohammad Nabi brought up his 6th T20I half-century as well as has become the top-scorer for Afghanistan in T20Is with 2103 runs, going past Mohammad Shahzad’s 2048 runs in the format. 

Rashid Khan scored a quick-fire 25-run knock and provided the team with an excellent finishing touch and helped Afghanistan finish on 152/9, the total they could have added 8-10 more runs, but the opponent bowlers proved to be too good with at the death overs. 

In Reply, Ireland took a flying start and added 49 runs for the first wicket before the skipper was bowled by Nangyal Kharoti with a beautiful delivery in the last over of the power play. Afghanistan got the momentum with that wicket as Rashid Khan took two wickets in two successive deliveries to take Afghanistan back into the game. 

Mohammad Nabi then joined the wicket-taking party as he showed excellent reflexes as he got a return catch off his own bowling to dismiss Curtis Campher for 6 to give Afghanistan the 4th in the process. Nangyal Kharoti trapped Andy Balbirnie off the last ball of his 4th over to give Afghanistan the 5th wicket. Rashid Khan came back and took two wickets in his last over as he removed Goerge Dockrell and Mark Adair one after the other to leave Ireland tottering at 95/7 after 15.4 overs.

Ireland needed 51 off the last three overs when Gareth Delany stepped up and struck 4 sixes and three fours on his way to an 18-ball 39. He smashed Fazal Haq Farooqi for 22 runs in the 18th over before taking 11 runs in the penultimate over off Naveen Ul Haq to bring the equation down to 18 off the final over. He smashed a six down the ground off the 4th ball of the over to keep Ireland alive and when things were right down to the wire, Fazal Haq Farooqi held his nerve to defend 11 runs off the last two balls to help Afghanistan take the game home by 10 runs. 

Rashid Khan was awarded the Player of the Match award for his terrific all-round performance, whereas Mohammad Nabi was adjudged as the stylish Player of the Match. 

Afghanistan successfully managed to win the game by 10 runs and level the three-match T20I series 1-1, with the series decider scheduled to be played tomorrow at the same venue.