AFG vs WI 2026, 3rd T20I: Shamar Springer hat-trick delivers West Indies consolation win

Afghanistan and West Indies clashed for the third and last time in the series at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday, January 22. The home team won the toss and elected to bowl first.

The visitors got off to a fast start as wicketkeeper-batter Johnson Charles and captain Brandon King looked to utilise the hardness of the new ball. But their partnership did not last long as the former was bowled out for a run-a-ball 17 by Shahidullah. Keacy Carty joined King who was the aggressor in the partnership. The former was struggling to score runs and finally lost his wicket for 10(19) in the 10th over.

With 64/2 after the first 10 overs, the West Indies needed a move on but the wicket was not an easy one to bat on as the next batter Justin Greaves also found out. The 31-year-old too was out for a lowly score of 12(15). New man Shimron Hetmyer came out with an intent to up the run rate while King, who was still at the other end, started playing the anchor role after Carty's wicket. 

The Men in Maroon, in their quest to score quick runs, suffered two setbacks in the same over of Rashid Khan as both Hetmyer (13 off 6) and King (47 off 35) perished. Matthew Forde (27 off 11) and Shamar Springer (16* off 9) produced a late flourish as the Caribbeans ended up at 151/7 after their 20 overs. For Afghanistan, Rashid Khan generated economical figures of 2/13 off four overs.

The Afghans began the run chase with a 15-run over bowled by Forde. The West Indians did make a comeback of sorts though and restricted Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran to 45 runs at the end of the powerplay. The batters looked very much comfortable as the equation came down to 80 runs needed off the last 10 overs. But soon after, Forde broke the 72-run partnership ending Zadran's stay at the crease for 28(27).

The batters to come found the going tough as the pitch suddenly looked to help the bowlers. No batter, apart from the openers, ended up in double digits. Even the veterans - Mohammad Nabi 6(4) and Rashid Khan 0(1) - failed to counterattack as the West Indies were all over Afghanistan in the second half of the innings.

Notably, Springer scalped a hat-trick in the 19th over and brought the Afghans on the brink. Incidentally, it was the second hat-trick of the series with the other one achieved by Mujeeb Ur Rahman in the second match. In the end, Afghanistan ended their innings on 136/8. For the Caribbeans, Springer was the best bowler (4/20) and also the Player of the Match. 

For his 156 runs, Darwish Rasooli was adjudged as the Player of the Series as Afghanistan won the series 2-1.