Mohammad Nawaz’s hat-trick powers Pakistan to UAE T20I Tri-Series title with dominant win over Afghanistan

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Pakistan clinched the UAE T20I Tri-Series 2025 final in emphatic fashion, defeating Afghanistan by 75 runs at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The star of the night was Mohammad Nawaz, who delivered a career-defining performance with both bat and ball. His quick-fire 25 and a magical spell of 5/19, including a hat-trick, ensured Pakistan lifted the trophy in style.

After opting to bat first, Pakistan’s innings lacked fluency on a pitch that heavily assisted spinners. None of the top-order batters managed to go past 30, with Fakhar Zaman top-scoring with 27. Nawaz himself chipped in with a crucial 25 off 21 deliveries, which helped push Pakistan to 141 all out.

At the halfway mark, Afghanistan looked favourites as Pakistan’s total seemed below par. However, what followed was a spectacular collapse triggered by Nawaz’s brilliance.

Chasing 142, Afghanistan never found momentum. Their innings unraveled against Nawaz’s disciplined left-arm spin. He first dismissed Darwish Rasooli in the sixth over before trapping Azmatullah Omarzai the very next ball. Nawaz completed his hat-trick by removing Afghan skipper Ibrahim Zadran with the first delivery of his next over.

In total, Nawaz bagged five wickets for just 19 runs in his four overs, dismantling Afghanistan’s middle and lower order almost single-handedly.

Afghanistan’s chase quickly went off track, as they lost seven wickets for just 46 runs. None of the top-order batters could offer resistance, with Sediqullah Atal the only player to reach double figures. Star opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz managed just 5, while Ibrahim Zadran contributed only 9. Three Afghan batters fell for ducks in a forgettable batting display.

While Nawaz took the spotlight, Pakistan’s bowling unit collectively dominated the Afghan lineup. Sufiyan Mukeem picked up 2 wickets for 9 runs in 2.5 overs, while Abrar Ahmed added 2 scalps to his name. Pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi chipped in with one wicket to round off the clinical effort.

Afghanistan’s innings folded for just 66 runs, handing Pakistan a resounding 75-run victory.

Pakistan thrash Afghanistan in UAE T20I Tri-Series Final#cricket #PAKvAFG #AFGvPAK #T20I

— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) September 8, 2025

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The final will be remembered as Mohammad Nawaz’s match. Not only did he provide crucial runs in a struggling batting order, but his sensational bowling, capped with a hat-trick, completely turned the tide in Pakistan’s favour. His all-round brilliance underlined Pakistan’s depth and ability to perform under pressure.

With this victory, Pakistan lifted the UAE T20I Tri-Series 2025 trophy in Sharjah, sending a strong message ahead of future international assignments.

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