In a high-voltage encounter filled with drama, passion, and world-class bowling, the Afghanistan national cricket team defeated the Pakistan national cricket team by 53 runs in the second ODI to clinch their maiden bilateral ODI series victory against their arch-rivals. The historic match, played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on February 11, 2026, will be remembered as a watershed moment for Afghan cricket and a heartbreaking collapse for the men in green.
This comprehensive match report breaks down the full scorecard, key moments, and match-winning performances from this unforgettable encounter.
Match Overview: History in the Desert
Match: 2nd ODI, Pakistan vs Afghanistan (Bilateral Series)
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE
Date: February 11, 2026
Result: Afghanistan won by 53 runs
Player of the Match: Rashid Khan (4/28 & quick-fire 25)
Player of the Series: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan)
The victory was particularly sweet for the Afghans, playing in front of a sea of blue supporters who turned the Sharjah stadium into a fortress. After winning the first ODI comfortably, Afghanistan came into this match with the opportunity to seal the series—and they did so in emphatic fashion, defending a modest total through sheer spin dominance.
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Afghanistan Innings: Gurbaz and Nabi Provide Platform
Winning the toss, Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi elected to bat first on a typical Sharjah surface—slow, low, and conducive to spin. The decision was tested early when Pakistan’s new-ball pair of Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah removed both openers inside the powerplay.
The Recovery: Gurbaz Stands Tall
Despite the early setbacks, Rahmanullah Gurbaz once again showcased why he is regarded as Afghanistan’s most destructive batter. Coming in at number three, Gurbaz played a mature knock, holding one end together while wickets tumbled at the other. He found an able partner in Mohammad Nabi, and the duo added 78 runs for the fourth wicket.
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz: 68 off 71 balls (6 fours, 2 sixes)
- Mohammad Nabi: 42 off 38 balls (3 fours, 2 sixes)
The Finish: Rashid”s Late Assault
Just when Pakistan believed they had restricted Afghanistan to a chaseable total, Rashid Khan walked in and unleashed his signature big-hitting. His quickfire 25 off just 14 balls, featuring three massive sixes, propelled Afghanistan to a competitive total of 248/8 in 50 overs.
Afghanistan Top Scorers:
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz: 68 (71)
- Mohammad Nabi: 42 (38)
- Rashid Khan: 25 (14)
Pakistan Bowling Figures:
- Shaheen Afridi: 10-1-42-2
- Naseem Shah: 9-0-51-1
- Shadab Khan: 10-0-48-2
- Abrar Ahmed: 10-0-52-1
Pakistan Innings: The Great Spin Collapse
Chasing 249 for victory and series survival, Pakistan needed a solid start. What followed was a batting collapse of epic proportions, orchestrated by the legendary spin trio of Afghanistan.
The Fakhar Show—A Lone Battle
Opener Fakhar Zaman once again proved to be Pakistan’s most dangerous batter against spin. Attacking the Afghan bowlers from the outset, Fakhar raced to 47 off just 38 balls, smashing six fours and two sixes. Alongside Imam-ul-Haq (19), he added 58 runs for the first wicket, giving Pakistan the perfect platform.
The Collapse: Rashid and Nabi Spin a Web
The introduction of spin proved fatal for Pakistan. Mohammad Nabi struck first, removing Imam-ul-Haq. What followed was a procession of Pakistani batters walking back to the pavilion, completely befuddled by the variations of Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
Rashid Khan produced a masterclass in leg-spin bowling. His googly to dismiss Babar Azam for just 12 became an instant classic—drawing the batter forward before spinning past the outside edge to clip the off-bail.
Key Wickets:
- Babar Azam (12) – Bowled by Rashid Khan’s googly
- Mohammad Rizwan (8) – Caught at slip off Mujeeb
- Saud Shakeel (4) – Trapped LBW by Nabi
- Iftikhar Ahmed (23) – Stumped off Rashid
From a comfortable 85/1, Pakistan collapsed to 143/6, losing five wickets for just 58 runs. Despite late resistance from Shaheen Afridi (18) and Shadab Khan (21), Pakistan were bowled out for just 195 runs in 41.3 overs.
Bowling Heroes:
- Rashid Khan: 9.3-1-28-4 (Match-winning spell)
- Mohammad Nabi: 10-1-42-2
- Mujeeb Ur Rahman: 8-0-38-2
- Fazalhaq Farooqi: 7-0-39-1
Full Match Scorecard
Here is the detailed scorecard from the historic 2nd ODI between Afghanistan and Pakistan:
Afghanistan Innings
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ibrahim Zadran | c Rizwan b Shaheen | 8 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 66.67 |
| Rahmat Shah | c Babar b Naseem | 11 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 61.11 |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | c Shadab b Wasim | 68 | 71 | 6 | 2 | 95.77 |
| Hashmatullah Shahidi (c) | c Fakhar b Abrar | 21 | 32 | 2 | 0 | 65.62 |
| Mohammad Nabi | c Shadab b Shaheen | 42 | 38 | 3 | 2 | 110.53 |
| Najibullah Zadran | c Rizwan b Shadab | 14 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 66.67 |
| Rashid Khan | c Naseem b Shadab | 25 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 178.57 |
| Gulbadin Naib | Not out | 12 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 109.09 |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman | Not out | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 133.33 |
| Extras | (lb 5, w 8) | 13 | ||||
| Total | (7 wickets; 50 overs) | 248 | RR: 4.96 |
Did not bat: Fazalhaq Farooqi, Noor Ahmad
Fall of Wickets: 1-15 (Zadran), 2-35 (Rahmat), 3-88 (Shahidi), 4-166 (Nabi), 5-186 (Gurbaz), 6-215 (Najibullah), 7-240 (Rashid)
Pakistan Innings
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fakhar Zaman | c Gurbaz b Mujeeb | 47 | 38 | 6 | 2 | 123.68 |
| Imam-ul-Haq | c Zadran b Nabi | 19 | 28 | 2 | 0 | 67.86 |
| Babar Azam | b Rashid Khan | 12 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 66.67 |
| Mohammad Rizwan (wk) | c Rahmat b Mujeeb | 8 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 57.14 |
| Saud Shakeel | lbw b Nabi | 4 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 44.44 |
| Iftikhar Ahmed | st Gurbaz b Rashid | 23 | 32 | 1 | 1 | 71.87 |
| Shadab Khan | c Zadran b Rashid | 21 | 28 | 2 | 0 | 75.00 |
| Mohammad Wasim | c Zadran b Farooqi | 9 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Shaheen Afridi | c Gurbaz b Rashid | 18 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 85.71 |
| Naseem Shah | Not out | 7 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 58.33 |
| Abrar Ahmed | b Nabi | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 20.00 |
| Extras | (lb 5, w 11) | 16 | ||||
| Total | (All Out; 41.3 overs) | 195 | RR: 4.70 |
Fall of Wickets: 1-58 (Imam), 2-85 (Fakhar), 3-88 (Babar), 4-98 (Rizwan), 5-105 (Saud), 6-143 (Iftikhar), 7-152 (Shadab), 8-175 (Wasim), 9-187 (Shaheen), 10-195 (Abrar)
Afghanistan Bowling
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fazalhaq Farooqi | 7 | 0 | 39 | 1 | 5.57 |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman | 8 | 0 | 38 | 2 | 4.75 |
| Gulbadin Naib | 4 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 5.75 |
| Rashid Khan | 9.3 | 1 | 28 | 4 | 2.94 |
| Mohammad Nabi | 10 | 1 | 42 | 3 | 4.20 |
| Noor Ahmad | 3 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 6.67 |
Pakistan Bowling
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shaheen Afridi | 10 | 1 | 42 | 2 | 4.20 |
| Naseem Shah | 9 | 0 | 51 | 1 | 5.67 |
| Mohammad Wasim | 6 | 0 | 32 | 1 | 5.33 |
| Shadab Khan | 10 | 0 | 48 | 2 | 4.80 |
| Abrar Ahmed | 10 | 0 | 52 | 1 | 5.20 |
| Iftikhar Ahmed | 5 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 3.60 |
Key Moments and Analysis
1. The Rashid Khan Show
Rashid Khan’s spell of 4/28 will go down as one of the finest bowling performances in Afghanistan-Pakistan cricketing history. His ability to extract turn and bounce from a slow Sharjah track, combined with his lethal googly, proved too much for the Pakistani middle order. His dismissal of Babar Azam was the turning point of the match.
2. Fakhar Zaman”s Lone Battle
Once again, Fakhar Zaman stood head and shoulders above his teammates. His aggressive approach against the spinners was working brilliantly until he fell to Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Had he stayed till the end, the result might have been different.
3. Pakistan”s Spin Weakness Exposed
The match exposed Pakistan’s long-standing weakness against quality spin bowling on turning tracks. The trio of Rashid, Nabi, and Mujeeb exploited every weakness in the Pakistani batting lineup, and the procession of wickets highlighted the need for better spin preparation ahead of future tournaments.
4. Afghanistan”s Fielding Standards
One of the most noticeable improvements in the Afghan side was their ground fielding. The catching was sharp, the ground fielding was energetic, and the overall intensity in the field reflected a team that believed they could win.
Post-Match Reactions
Rashid Khan (Player of the Match):
“This is a dream come true. Beating Pakistan in a bilateral series has been our goal for so long. The crowd was amazing today—they pushed us all the way. The plan was simple: bowl stump-to-stump and let the pitch do the rest. I am so proud of this team.”
Babar Azam (Pakistan Captain):
“We didn’t bat well. Losing wickets in clusters cost us the game. Fakhar played brilliantly, but we needed someone to stay with him. Credit to Afghanistan—they outbowled us today. We will learn from this and come back stronger.”
Hashmatullah Shahidi (Afghanistan Captain):
“History made! I cannot express how proud I am of this team. The bowlers were exceptional, Gurbaz played a captain’s knock, and the fielding was our best ever. This series win is for every Afghan fan around the world.”
Series Summary and Looking Ahead
The two-match ODI series ended with Afghanistan winning 2-0, marking their first-ever bilateral series victory against Pakistan in any format.
- 1st ODI (Sharjah): Afghanistan won by 5 wickets
- 2nd ODI (Sharjah): Afghanistan won by 53 runs
For Afghanistan, this victory symbolizes their rapid rise in world cricket. For Pakistan, it serves as a stark reminder of the work needed to compete against quality spin bowling on subcontinental tracks. Both teams will now shift focus to their upcoming assignments, with Afghanistan gaining invaluable confidence and Pakistan facing tough questions about their batting approach against spin.
Conclusion
The Sharjah crowd witnessed history on February 11, 2026. Afghanistan’s comprehensive 53-run victory over Pakistan wasn’t just a win—it was a statement. It was a testament to the growth of Afghan cricket, the genius of Rashid Khan, and the never-say-die attitude of a team that has captured the hearts of millions.
For Pakistan, the defeat will sting, but it also provides an opportunity for introspection and improvement. As the cricketing world watches, one thing is clear: the rivalry between Afghanistan and Pakistan has well and truly arrived on the global stage.
Brief Scorecard:
Afghanistan: 248/7 (Gurbaz 68, Nabi 42; Shaheen 2-42)
Pakistan: 195 all out (Fakhar 47; Rashid 4-28, Nabi 3-42)
Result: Afghanistan won by 53 runs.
Series: Afghanistan won the two-match series 2-0.
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