Afghanistan go into the second T20I in Dubai ahead in the series after a 38-run win on Monday, the first step in their build-up to the World Cup. They were 19 for 2 after losing Rahmanullah Gurbaz on the first ball and Sediqullah Atal early on, but Ibrahim Zadran and Darwish Rasooli turned the innings around with a 162-run partnership for the third wicket, the highest of its kind in T20Is at the venue. Zadran made 87 from 56 balls and Rasooli 84 from 59.
With the ball, Afghanistan restricted West Indies to 143 for 9. Zia-ur-Rahman took 3 for 36, Mujeeb Ur Rahman struck in the powerplay, and Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad claimed two each. With such a spin line-up, Afghanistan look well prepared for the tournament, though Gurbaz’s form and middle-order match time are small concerns.
West Indies were short of key names, with Shai Hope, Sherfane Rutherford and Akeal Hosein away at the SA20. Jayden Seales took a wicket and Gudakesh Motie gave away only 18 runs from four overs, but the rest of the attack could not stem Zadran and Rasooli. In reply, Johnson Charles scored 27, Quentin Sampson 30, Matthew Forde 25 and Motie 28, yet wickets kept falling to quality spin. As a two-time World Cup winning side, the Caribbean team want to use this series to build momentum and test new options ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup.
