Latest update January 27th, 2026 1:30 AM
2026 West Indies vs. Afghanistan T20I Series Match 2… Rasooli (68), Atal (54), Mujeeb (4-21) send Windies packing by 39-runs
– Afghans win series 2-0 with Final match set for today
Kaieteur Sports – Afghanistan, led by fifties from Darwish Rasooli and Sediqullah Atal backed by a brilliant spell of 4-21 from off-break specialist Mujeeb Ur Rahman handed their team a huge series win over the West Indies, who suffered a horrific 39-run loss yesterday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Playing with the series on the line, the Afghans came out firing on all cylinders as they surpassed their highest T20I score versus the Caribbean side; while sealing an emphatic series win versus the former 2-time champions as they continue preparations ahead of next month’s T20 World Cup.
Rasooli showed his class for the second successive match, dazzling with 68 off 39 with 5 fours and 3 sixes which provided the stability needed for a big score.
Darwish Rasooli cracked back-to-back fifties. (ACB)
He shared a 115 3rd wicket partnership with Atal, who cracked 3 sixes and a pair of fours in his 42-ball 53.
Pinch-hitter Azmatullah Omarzai (23*) finished the innings off nicely with a couple of sixes a four, off a mere 13 balls to help propel the Afghans to 189-4 from 20 overs; their new highest T20I score versus the Windies after beating the initial 181 which they made in the first game.
For the second straight game, West Indies have managed to bowl themselves into a hole, with left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie hemorrhaging 54-0 from his 4 overs.
Although the Windies had a slightly better economical game compared to that of the first, fast-bowlers Shamar Joseph (1-35) and Ramon Simmonds (1-39) were a bit expensive; while fast-bowler and pick of the lot, Matthew Forde made amends for his below-par performance in Game 1 with returns of 2-25.
Looking to keep their series alive, the Caribbean team were muzzled for 150 all out in 18.3 overs, which was courtesy of Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s hat-trick and returns of 4-21.
Skipper Rashid Khan bagged 1-19 while the duo of Fazalhaq Farrooqi (2-28) and Omarzai who returned to grab 2-20, all played a huge role in the win.
Shamar Joseph struck early for West Indies. (ACB)
West Indies captain and opener Brandon King led with 50, hitting two fours and 4 maximums, while Guyanese Shimron Hetmyer hammered a quick-fire 46 off 17 with 6 sixes and a four; but not much came from the others who were kept contained by the Afghans.
Windies’ chase started with a huge run out courtesy of Zadran which sent Alick Athanze (8) packing and also set the tone for a mini collapse which was triggered by some fine bowling from Rahman.
Mujeeb removed the dangerous pair of Johnson Charles (0) and Evin Lewis (13), before Hetmyer and King looked to steady the ship.
Hetmyer cut loose with a handful of sixes to help ease the pressure on his skipper’s end, which helped the pair to raise their team’s 100 as well as their own half-century stand; in the 14th over.
Tragedy struck for Hetmyer and his team when Zadran completed a good catch to remove the left-hander and break the 66-run partnership, 4 runs shy of what would have been a brilliant half-century.
With 83 runs needed for victory from the last 6 overs, King reached his fifty but soon after fell to Rahman as the tail-enders failed to change the course of the match by the end of the 20th over.
Earlier, after another failure in this series from opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz (2) and a misfire from top-scorer in the last match Ibrahim Zadran (22) who punched a quartet of fours, Rasooli and Atal took control of the innings.
The pair added a quick half-century partnership which essentially took Afghanistan to their team 100 in the 12th over.
Rasooli’s fifty required just 27 balls while Atal got to his mini milestone off 38 deliveries.
Afghanistan’s 150 came in 16.2 overs which gave the green light to Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi (7*) to finish off the innings with a flurry of boundaries.
The third and final match is set for today. (Clifton Ross)
Scores: Afghanistan 189 for 4 (Rasooli 68, Atal 53, Forde 2-25) beat West Indies 150 (King 50, Hetmyer 46, Mujeeb 4-21) by 39 runs.
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