Nabi’s Masterclass Powers Afghanistan to Dominant Win Over Canada

Chennai, Feb 2026 : Veteran off-spinning all-rounder Mohammad Nabi delivered a spell for the ages as Afghanistan ended their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign on a resounding note, crushing Canada by 82 runs at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday. Nabi’s sensational figures of 4 for 7 dismantled the Canadian batting line-up after Afghanistan had earlier posted a commanding total of 200 for 4.

Asked to bat first, Afghanistan showcased their growing maturity in T20 cricket with a composed yet explosive batting performance. Opening the innings, Ibrahim Zadran anchored the innings with a magnificent unbeaten 95, narrowly missing out on a century. It was his second successive fifty of the tournament and a knock that underlined his importance at the top of the order. Zadran paced his innings intelligently, rotating strike in the early overs before accelerating decisively at the death.

He found solid support from Sediqullah Atal, who contributed a fluent 44. The duo ensured Afghanistan maintained a strong run rate while avoiding unnecessary risks. Although Canada struck occasionally—paceman Jaskaran Singh being the standout with figures of 3 for 52—the Afghan batters dominated the final phase. The last five overs yielded 69 runs, propelling Afghanistan past the 200-run mark for the first time in the tournament.

Chasing a daunting target of 201, Canada began with promise. Yuvraj Samra found the boundary early, while Dilpreet Bajwa struck two towering sixes to briefly lift hopes. However, Afghanistan’s bowlers quickly seized control. Mystery spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman broke through by bowling Bajwa, and Navneet Dhaliwal endured a forgettable farewell, departing for a duck in his final international appearance.

Then came Nabi’s moment of magic. Striking with his very first delivery, he removed Samra and triggered a collapse from which Canada never recovered. With subtle variations in flight and pace, Nabi ran through the middle order, claiming his best figures in a T20 World Cup. Skipper Rashid Khan provided able support, finishing with 2 for 19 as Afghanistan’s spinners applied relentless pressure.

Canada showed brief resistance through Harsh Thaker (30) and captain Saad bin Zafar, who scored 28 in a 53-run partnership. But the required rate kept climbing, and wickets continued to tumble. Rashid dismissed Shreyas Movva and later Saad, ensuring the chase fizzled out at 118 for 8.

The emphatic victory allowed Afghanistan to bow out of the tournament with pride, even though they narrowly missed qualification for the Super Eight stage. It also marked the final match of head coach Jonathan Trott’s tenure, ending on a positive note. For Canada, despite the heavy defeat, the campaign offered valuable experience and glimpses of promise from a young squad still finding its feet on the global stage.

Brief Scores:
Afghanistan 200/4 in 20 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 95*, Sediqullah Atal 44; Jaskaran Singh 3-52) beat Canada 118/8 in 20 overs (Harsh Thaker 30, Saad bin Zafar 28; Mohammad Nabi 4-7, Rashid Khan 2-19) by 82 runs.