Afghanistan put up a complete display to outclass Canada by 82 runs in their Group D encounter of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in Chennai on Wednesday. A match-winning unbeaten knock by Ibrahim Zadran set the tone for Afghanistan’s crushing win, as they scored a total of 200 for 4 before restricting Canada to 118 for 8.
Asked to bat first, Afghanistan got off to a decent start despite losing wickets in the early stages of the powerplay. The Canadian bowlers struck twice in the first six overs, leaving Afghanistan with 49 for 2, but Zadran showed resilience at the other end and slowly took charge of the situation.
Zadran received good company from Sediqullah Atal, as the duo rebuilt the innings steadily in the middle stages. The Afghan opener reached his first fifty in just 33 deliveries, as he combined classical shots with powerful hitting to keep the scoreboard ticking. Afghanistan reached the 100-run mark in the 12th over and went from strength to strength thereafter, as they punished anything loose from the Canadian attack.
In the last six overs, Afghanistan changed gear convincingly. Zadran remained unbeaten on 95 off 56 balls, just one run short of a century, while late hitting by Darwish Rasooli ensured a good finish. Afghanistan scored 79 runs in the last six overs to reach 200 for 4, their highest score in the tournament so far.
While chasing a tall target of 201, Canada never got going. Afghanistan’s bowlers put the pressure immediately, taking three wickets inside the powerplay to leave Canada at 34 for 3. The required run rate quickly escalated beyond reach as wickets kept flowing at regular intervals.
Harsh Thaker and Saad Bin Zafar tried to hold the innings together with a small partnership in the middle overs, but Afghanistan’s bowlers and fielders restricted any possibility of a comeback. Several reviews also went against Canada, adding to their woes.
While a few late boundaries were hit, Canada were eventually reduced to 118 for 8 at the end of their 20 overs, well short of the target. Afghanistan’s bowlers shared the wickets equally, keeping a tight leash throughout the chase.