West Indies scripted a dramatic rescue act in Dubai, defeating Afghanistan by 15 runs in the third T20I thanks to Shamar Springer’s unforgettable hat-trick. The victory spared them a series clean sweep, though Afghanistan pocketed the trophy 2-1.
Sent in to bat, West Indies grinded out 151/7. Brendan King’s 47 (35: 3×6, 2×4) formed the backbone, building on a 27-run opening stand with Johnson Charles (17). Fireworks ensued with Matthew Forde’s 27 off 11 (2×4, 2×6) and an unbeaten 16 from Springer.
Bowling honors for Afghanistan went to Naveen-ul-Haq (2), Rashid Khan (2), and Azmatullah Omarzai (2), who applied brakes effectively.
Afghanistan’s chase sparked with 72/0 in 10.1 overs from Rahmanullah Gurbaz (71: 58 balls, 8×4, 1×6) and Ibrahim Zadran (28: 27 balls, 4×4). The dream soured quickly; the rest managed zilch in double digits.
Pacer Shamar Springer (4/20) authored the collapse, his 19th-over hat-trick vaporizing Gurbaz, Rashid Khan, and Shahidullah consecutively. Forde, Khary Pierre, and Ramon Simmonds grabbed the leftovers, limiting Afghanistan to 136/8.
Reflecting on the series, Afghanistan’s commanding first two wins (38-run and 39-run margins) underscored their edge, but West Indies’ final flourish highlights untapped potential ahead.