Afghanistan Vs Canada: Zadran’s 95 Powers Clinical 82-Run Win as Afghanistan Sign Off Strong
Afghanistan Vs Canada produced the emphatic finale Afghanistan wanted on Thursday (ET), as a masterful unbeaten 95 from Ibrahim Zadran and tight bowling led Afghanistan to an 82-run win in Chennai, allowing them to sign off from the tournament on a high.
Afghanistan Vs Canada: Zadran steadies, Atal supports in big partnership
Put into bat, Afghanistan made a shaky start but rebuilt expertly. The opening pair gave the innings a 47-run platform before Rahmanullah Gurbaz departed for 30 and Afghanistan slipped to 49/2 in the powerplay. Ibrahim Zadran then took control, posting his second successive fifty at this World Cup and finishing with a personal-best 95 off 56 balls — the highest score by an Afghan in this edition.
Zadran’s composed reconstruction was anchored by a 95-run stand with Sediqullah Atal, who contributed 44. Together they reset the innings and launched Afghanistan into a position to score freely in the closing overs. By carrying his bat through the innings and striking seven fours and five sixes, Zadran ensured Afghanistan set a formidable target that Canada could not match.
Canada chase collapses as Nabi, Rashid and Zadran’s fielding choke the reply
Canada began positively, with last match’s centurion Yuvraj Samra driving the very first ball for four and skipper Dilpreet Bajwa counter-attacking with early maximums. The momentum, however, was short-lived: Bajwa was bowled by Mujeeb Ur Rahman as Canada lost a key wicket trying to accelerate.
Mohammad Nabi emerged as the day’s chief destroyer, striking early to remove Samra for 17 and then returning to claim crucial middle-overs scalps. Nabi finished with four wickets as Canada’s chase steadily unravelled, with Rashid and Mujeeb also chipping in. Jaskarandeep Singh was Canada’s most successful bowler of the day with 3/52, but the visitors’ batsmen were unable to sustain partnerships.
Harsh Thaker and Saad offered resistance with a 53-run stand that briefly shifted momentum, but Nabi broke that partnership and finished off the tail, removing Heyliger with the first ball of his final over. Canada’s innings ended at 105/8 on 18. 1 overs as Afghanistan celebrated an 82-run victory.
Significance and wider tournament picture
The victory allowed Afghanistan to end their campaign on an upbeat note after mixed results earlier in the competition. Zadran’s back-to-back fifties and a match-winning century chase from others earlier in the tournament were bright spots for the side as they look to build momentum for upcoming assignments.
Elsewhere on Thursday (ET), other pool narratives continued to take shape: the West Indies remained unbeaten after a win in Kolkata, and Zimbabwe also stretched their winning streak with a six-wicket triumph over Sri Lanka in Colombo. Those results alongside Afghanistan’s closing flourish reshaped the early look of the group stage and underlined the competitive balance in this edition of the tournament.
Afghanistan’s final outing, highlighted by Zadran’s unbeaten 95 and a disciplined bowling performance led by Nabi, provided a clear signal that while their campaign did not run perfectly, the team can finish with confidence and individual players have stepped up when it mattered.
