When Pakistan posted 141/8 in their allotted 20 overs of the first innings during the final of the Tri-series 2025 against Afghanistan at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, many predicted the Rashid Khan-led side to chase down the target quite comfortably in the second innings. But the surface looked a bit tired, helping the spinners to grip the ball, making it harder to score. 

On the fifth delivery of the last over of the powerplay, Mohammed Nawaz picked up the wicket of Darwish Rasooli on a five-ball duck. It was a tossed-up delivery from the left-arm spinner as the batter tried to work it across the line and was struck on the pads. The bowler’s appeal convinced the umpire to raise his finger.

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On the very next delivery, Nawaz bagged the wicket of Azmatullah Omarzai. It was a pitched-up delivery by the spinner as the batter went for a cut straightaway. But he got an outside edge, and Mohammed Haris completed a sharp catch behind the stumps. The nick was loud and clear for the umpire to lift his finger.

Watch: Mohammed Nawaz becomes first Pakistan spinner to record T20I hat-trick

On the opening delivery of the seventh over, Pakistan’s captain, Salman Ali Agha, put up a strong fielding set-up. On nine runs off 15 balls, Ibrahim Zadran got drawn forward to the ball and was beaten on the edge as Haris whipped the bails in a jiffy to find the right-handed batter short of his crease.

MOHAMMAD NAWAZ HAT-TRICK 🤯pic.twitter.com/bLqBZZuFcj

— PCT Replays 2.0 (@ReplaysPCT) September 7, 2025

Nawaz became the third Pakistan bowler to record a T20I hat-trick. He also became the first spinner of the country to reach the milestone, joining Mohammed Hasnain and Faheem Ashraf. The left-arm spinner ended with a fine figure of 5/19 in four overs, including a maiden to bowl out the opponents for 66 runs in 15.5 overs.

It’s an inspiring victory for the Green Brigade, who will now shift their sharp attention to the Asia Cup. Their most anticipated clash of the event will be against India on September 14 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are set to clash in the fourth match of the UAE T20I Tri-Series 2025 on Tuesday, September 2, at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Pakistan have started the tournament on a dominant note, registering back-to-back wins to secure the top position on the points table. Their earlier victory against Afghanistan by 39 runs in the series opener highlighted their strong form. With momentum firmly on their side, Pakistan will aim to deliver another commanding performance to confirm their berth in the tournament final.

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Afghanistan, meanwhile, find themselves in a challenging position after losing their opening encounter. With limited time to recover, they face the tough task of playing two games within 24 hours. This makes their path to the final far more difficult, requiring them to secure consecutive victories to keep their hopes alive. To compete effectively against a confident Pakistan side, Afghanistan will need both discipline and resilience in all departments of the game.

Pakistan vs Afghanistan, Match 4: Live Streaming Details

Pakistan vs Afghanistan, Match 4: Probable Playing XI

Pakistan (Playing XI):

Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha (c), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Haris (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Salman Mirza, Sufiyan Muqeem

Afghanistan (Playing XI):

Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (c), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik