Zadran and Nabi help Afghanistan sign off with massive win

While Zadran struck his T20I best of 95 not out, Nabi finished with 4 for 7, his best figures in T20Is to inflict an 82-run defeat on Canada

Vithushan Ehantharajah

Feb 19, 2026, 5:17 PM • 3 hrs ago

Ibrahim Zadran finished on 95*, his highest T20I score • AFP/Getty Images

Afghanistan 200 for 4 (Zadran 95*, Atal 44, Jaskaran 3-52) beat Canada 118 for 8 (Thaker 30, Nabi 4-7) by 82 runs

Ibrahim Zadran's unbeaten 95 and Mohammad Nabi's 4 for 7 proved too much for Canada as Afghanistan triumphed in this final match of Group D by 82 runs, signing off their T20 World Cup campaign and Jonathan Trott's tenure as head coach in style.

In the end, a target of 201 was too much for Canada, who had the right idea when skipper Dilpreet Bajwa made the decision to field first given the dew to come. Alas, they were unable to keep tabs on Afghanistan's innings, in part because of two drops that ultimately ended up costing 62 runs.

Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz's 47-run opening stand could have been capped on 9 in the second over, had keeper Shreyas Movva taken a steepling catch to remove Gurbaz for 7. Jaskaran Singh's two strikes in four deliveries brought an end to Gurbaz (30) and Gulbadin Naib (1) at the end of the powerplay.

Canada were left rueing another error in the field when the returning Kaleem Sana shelled Zadran on 54 down at long-on for what would have been a deserved wicket for Ansh Patel. Zadran was assisted by Sediqullah Atal's 44 through the middle overs, on his way to a 16th half-century from 33 deliveries.

Zadran eventually made it through the innings, with two fours off the last two deliveries of the innings taking Afghanistan to 200 for 4 - their highest score at a T20 World Cup.

There was no dream finale for Canada's leading T20I run scorer Navneet Dhaliwal, whose final innings before retirement was a five-ball duck. Nor could Yuvraj Samra build on his record-breaking 110 against New Zealand, removed for 17 having struck the first ball of the chase for four.

Harsh Thaker (30) and Saad Bin Zafar (28) kept at it without ever threatening to make Afghanistan sweat.

Zadran bats through

The let-off in the 15th over was the only blemish on an otherwise immaculate display from Zadran. That he shook off the error when blazing high towards long-off to launch the very next delivery over extra cover for his third six was a nod to the confidence garnered after a tricky start to his T20 World Cup campaign.

An awkward 10 off 12 versus New Zealand was followed by 12 off 10 in regular time against South Africa. But 53 in his previous knock against UAE served as a reminder of the 24-year old's talents. That was set in stone with a loft over extra cover for six number four, at the end of the penultimate over, which took Zadran beyond Gurbaz's 84 against the Proteas as Afghanistan's highest score at a T20 World Cup.

Tied with his previous best of 87 not out against West Indies last month with two deliveries to remaining, a slash over third took him to new heights before finishing the innings with a kneeling carve through cover to finish on 95 not out. "I did try," he said of picking off Afghanistan's maiden century in T20 World Cups, which would have been his first in the format. Regardless, it was a stellar knock even without those last five runs, greatly appreciated by the 18,393 who had piled into the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Trott bows out

There was one last moment of class from Zadran. Having just been given the Player-of-the-Match award, he was immediately handing it over to someone he deemed more worthy.

"I want to dedicate this Player of the Match to coach Jonathan Trott," said Zadran. "He has encouraged all the players, supported us. Under his coaching we've had a lot of achievement in ICC events... I wish him all the best for his future. I will miss him - we will all miss him."

Since taking over as head coach in July 2022, Trott's guidance of Afghanistan's cricketers can be charted through ICC tournaments, as Zadran stated. The culmination came in the previous T20 World Cup when they made it through to the semi-finals. Many expected them to challenge for another final-four spot this time around.

As such, it is hard not to look at their 2026 showing with disappointment. The dramatic double Super Over defeat to South Africa in their second match was, ultimately, the end of their Super Eight hopes.

Even for a group of hardened cricketers, it was gut punch that could have sent them spiraling. But the win over UAE and this thrashing of Canada underlined the quality that was present even during their opening losses to New Zealand and South Africa.

As the Afghanistan players lined up to embrace Trott on the outfield, it was a celebration of what they have achieved together, and how much more there is for both to achieve at this level.

The President's final term?

Trott's departure led many to wonder if this might be the end of an era for Afghanistan. And few cricketers mark this era quite like Nabi.

The 41-year-old isn't nicknamed "The President" for nothing. He has been synonymous with the country's rise as a cricketing force. He was even shaking hands during the Canada innings; Jaskaran offering a consolatory hand after his top edge was missed by Gurbaz behind the stumps, which would have given Nabi figures of 6 for 5.

It could have been Nabi's maiden five-wicket haul in T20Is, but he didn't seem to mind. The smile never left his face, and even broke into a laughter following that miss given Gurbaz had almost knocked a catch out of Abdollah Ahmadzai's hands three balls earlier. That take meant, aged 41 years and 49 days, Nabi became the oldest player to pick up a four-wicket haul in any ICC tournament.

Was Nabi taking all this in - a last hurrah before finally walking into the sunset? The regularity of T20 World Cups means he'll be "only" 43 when the next edition takes place in Australia and New Zealand. By then, Nabi might have already ticked off his ambition to play international cricket with his son, Hassan Eisakhil.

Whether the body holds up will be the key issue. The canniness of the mind remains, as per the 17 dot balls served up during his four overs, albeit against a desperate and clueless set of Canadian batters. Not long after the match had concluded, he was offering advice to those same batters.

As a senior man in a fickle game, he knows he has a duty. And only he will know once that duty has been truly served.

Vithushan Ehantharajah is an associate editor at ESPNcricinfo

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