Atal, Rasooli fifties, Mujeeb hat-trick power Afghanistan to series win

Atal, Rasooli fifties, Mujeeb hat-trick power Afghanistan to series win

Afghanistan secured the T20I series against West Indies with a 39-run victory in the second match, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead. Sediqullah Atal and Darwish Rasooli both scored fifties, guiding Afghanistan to 189/4. Mujeeb Ur Rahman then dismantled the West Indies batting with a four-wicket haul, including a hat-trick spread across two spells.

Batting first, Afghanistan lost both openers early. A crucial 115-run partnership between Atal and Rasooli rebuilt the innings. Rasooli was the aggressor, reaching a 27-ball fifty, while Atal anchored before accelerating. After their dismissals, Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi plundered 19 runs from the final over to push the total to a competitive score.

West Indies' chase struggled from the start, losing Alick Athanaze to a run-out and managing only 29 runs in the powerplay. Mujeeb Ur Rahman then removed Evin Lewis and Johnson Charles in one over. Shimron Hetmyer's counterattacking 46 off 17 balls, alongside captain Brandon King's 50, briefly revived hopes with a 68-run stand. However, Fazalhaq Farooqi dismissed Hetmyer to break the partnership.

Afghanistan tightened their grip thereafter. Mujeeb returned to complete a hat-trick, finishing with 4 for 21. Wickets fell regularly as West Indies collapsed to 150 all out in 18.5 overs.

Brief Scores: Afghanistan 189/4 (Rasooli 68, Atal 53; Forde 2-25) beat West Indies 150 (King 50, Hetmyer 46; Mujeeb 4-21) by 39 runs.