DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A record-setting partnership from Ibrahim Zadran and Darwish Rasooli powered Afghanistan to a commanding 38-run victory over a disjointed West Indies in the opening T20 International on Monday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Zadran finished unbeaten on 87 from 56 balls, while Player-of-the-Match Rasooli hammered 84 off 59 deliveries as Afghanistan posted an imposing 181 for three after electing to bat. What followed was a clinical dismantling of the West Indies across all disciplines.
Windies strike early, then lose control
The contest began with promise for the Caribbean side. Jayden Seales struck with the opening delivery of the match as Gudakesh Motie produced a brilliant direct hit from mid-on to run out Rahmanullah Gurbaz at the non-striker’s end.
Moments later, West Indies captain Brandon King pulled off a spectacular one-handed catch at first slip to remove Sediqullah Atal for two, leaving Afghanistan wobbling at 19 for two inside three overs.
That momentum, however, proved fleeting.
A partnership for the record books
Rasooli joined Zadran at the crease and together they authored a punishing 162-run, third-wicket partnership, Afghanistan’s second-highest in T20 Internationals and the fifth-highest for the third wicket in the history of the format.
Shamar Joseph, returning from injury, was greeted with back-to-back boundaries from Rasooli in an opening over that leaked 11 runs. Zadran followed suit against Khary Pierre, and Afghanistan surged to 51 for two after six overs.
Zadran reached his half-century off 37 balls with a single off Gudakesh Motie, becoming the first Afghan batter to register four consecutive T20I half-centuries. Rasooli soon matched the milestone, bringing up his fifty from 36 balls with a controlled push to midwicket.
By the 14th over, Afghanistan were 111 for two. The final six overs were ruthless.
Fielding failures compound Windies’ woes
With the score on 147 for two entering the 18th over, the West Indies imploded in the field.
Motie dropped Rasooli at long-on off Seales. Two balls later, Evin Lewis spilled Zadran at deep midwicket. Shimron Hetmyer followed with another missed chance at long-off in the next over, again reprieving Zadran.
Afghanistan plundered 70 runs from the final six overs. Zadran’s innings featured eight fours and three sixes, while Rasooli struck eight fours and two sixes before falling off the final delivery of the innings.
Chase unravels after brief spark
Set a target requiring just over nine runs per over, West Indies began brightly as King drove Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s first ball for four. The spinner responded swiftly, bowling King with an inswinger that crashed into middle stump.
Johnson Charles launched a brief counterattack, smashing Mujeeb for three sixes and two fours, but the bowler recovered to have Evin Lewis caught at deep midwicket, leaving West Indies 38 for two.
That dismissal triggered a collapse.
Four wickets fell for just 12 runs, and the match slipped decisively out of reach.
Resistance comes too late
Debutant Quentin Sampson offered some resistance with a top score of 30, striking two sixes and two fours. Gudakesh Motie contributed 28, and Matthew Forde added 25, but the effort never threatened Afghanistan’s control.
The West Indies eventually closed on 143 for nine, well short of the target.
Ziaur Rahman led Afghanistan’s bowling with three for 36, while Rashid Khan (2-19), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2-29), and Noor Ahmad (2-34) each claimed two wickets.
Afghanistan set the tone
The emphatic victory handed Afghanistan a 1-0 lead in the series and underscored their growing authority in the shortest format.
The second T20 International will be played on Wednesday, with the West Indies left searching for answers after a performance marked by missed chances, missed opportunities, and missed momentum.
