Afghanistan vs West Indies, 3rd T20I Dubai, Jan 22 2026 – Springer’s Hat-Trick Seals WI Win

Windies’ Batting Finishes Strong

The West Indies batted first and managed a good 151 for 7 in 20 overs. Their start wasn’t great, Johnson Charles didn’t score, getting just 17. Brandon King, who was captaining, held things together, scoring the most runs with 47 off 35 balls, including three sixes.

Keacy Carty and Justin Greaves couldn’t get going, and Shimron Hetmyer’s quick hitting ended fast when Rashid Khan tricked him with a spinning ball. Rashid bowled well, getting 2 for 13, showing why he’s still such a tough bowler in T20.

The game changed when Matthew Forde hit 27 off only 11 balls, giving the Windies a boost. Shamar Springer also scored 16 not out off 9 balls, which helped them past 150. Those late runs were super important.

Afghan Bowlers Keep it Tight

Afghanistan’s bowling was good for most of the innings. Rashid Khan was great in the middle overs, not letting anything through and breaking partnerships. Abdollah Ahmadzai got two wickets, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman bowled accurately, even though he didn’t get a wicket.

But, Afghanistan’s fast bowlers gave away too many runs at the end, letting the West Indies get to a score that was just a bit above average, but defendable on a slow pitch in Dubai.

Gurbaz and Zadran Start Well

Afghanistan started their chase confidently. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran made a solid start, getting through the first few overs without losing a wicket. Gurbaz was careful at first but then started hitting, punishing bad balls and rotating the strike well.

Zadran scored a steady 28 before getting out, but Afghanistan were still in control halfway through. Gurbaz reached a well-paced fifty off 44 balls, and with wickets in hand, Afghanistan looked like they would chase down 152 easily.

At 100 for 1 after 15 overs, they only needed a few runs per over, and it looked like the West Indies would lose.

Springer Turns it Around

Everything changed in the 19th over. Afghanistan needed 25 off 12 balls when Shamar Springer did something amazing. First, he got the dangerous Gurbaz out for 71, caught on the boundary. Then, he got Rashid Khan out for a duck right away. After that, he bowled Shahidullah out, completing a hat-trick.

The atmosphere went crazy. Afghanistan suddenly were in trouble. Springer ended up with great numbers, 4 for 20, bowling one of the best spells at the end of a T20 game in a while.

Ramon Simmonds kept his cool in the last over, only allowing four runs and winning the game for the West Indies by 15 runs.

Key Moments

Shamar Springer became only the third West Indies bowler to get a T20I hat-trick. He was named Player of the Match and has a chance to be picked for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 71 showed how consistent he is, and Rashid Khan got closer to 700 T20 wickets.

Even though they lost, Afghanistan won the series, and Darwish Rasooli was named Player of the Series.

Tactics and a Little Drama

One thing people talked about was how Afghanistan played after Gurbaz got out. They seemed to panic, especially with experienced players like Nabi and Rashid still to bat. The West Indies also had some fielding issues earlier in the series, but they made up for it when it mattered most in the final overs.

Rashid Khan giving Brandon King an aggressive send-off added some spice to the game but was still okay, showing how intense T20 cricket can be.

What it Means

This game was Afghanistan’s last T20I before the T20 World Cup in India, and the West Indies will go to South Africa next. Afghanistan’s series win proves they are serious contenders, and the West Indies will feel good about defending a total under pressure.

The match showed how important good bowling at the end and staying calm are in T20s, especially on slower pitches like Dubai.

Okay, here’s a more human-sounding take on that cricket analysis:

What I thought:

That game really showed how crazy T20 cricket can be. Afghanistan was on top most of the time, but West Indies pulled out the win when it counted. Shamar Springer’s bowling was smart, brave, and right on time.

Afghanistan needs to figure out how to finish games. Those three wickets in a row at the end? That looked like minds gone blank, not bad skills. Gurbaz is clearly the main guy for Afghanistan’s batting, but the rest of the team needs to keep it cool when the pressure’s on.

This could be a big win for the West Indies. Their middle order is still hit-or-miss, but Springer and Forde coming up gives them more options.

What’s next?

You’ll probably see a lot more of Shamar Springer in the next West Indies T20s, especially with the World Cup coming up. His bowling at the end of innings could be a game-changer. Brandon King needs to find his groove as captain, and Hetmyer needs to turn those short bursts into big scores.

Gurbaz will likely keep scoring the most runs for Afghanistan, and Ibrahim Zadran will try to hold things together. Rashid Khan is still key, both as a bowler and leader, mainly in those tough World Cup games.

If Afghanistan can get better at the end of games, they’ve got the skill to beat anyone. West Indies will want to keep this going and work on their fielding for what’s coming next.