Khost – July 10, 2026: The Afghan XI delivered a dominant all-round performance to defeat the Uzbekistan National Cricket Team by a massive margin of 199 runs in a one-off friendly T20 match that was held this morning at the Rahmat Wali Masroor Cricket Ground in Khost Province.
After winning the toss,
Uzbekistan elected to field first. The Afghan XI produced an outstanding
batting display, posting a formidable 323/7 in their allotted 20 overs and
setting the visitors a daunting target of 324. Hasan Eisakhil led the charge
with a magnificent 120, while Imran Mir scored 74, Faisal Khan Shinozada added
31, and Noor Rahman contributed with crucial 29 runs.
The Afghan XI carried their
momentum into the bowling innings and produced yet another excellent
performance to bowl out the visitors well short of the target and seal a
convincing 199-run victory. Naseer Khan Maroofkhel, Imran Mir, and Wafadar
Momand claimed two wickets each, while Faridoon Dawoodzai picked up one wicket.
Hasan Esakhel was named Player of the Match for his outstanding century and
all-round performance.
The friendly fixture was held
under the Cricket Development Support Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed
between the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and the Cricket Federation of
Uzbekistan in December 2025.
By hosting this match, the
Afghanistan Cricket Board once again reaffirmed its commitment to supporting
emerging cricket nations such as Uzbekistan by sharing its expertise and
technical knowledge. As part of this commitment, ACB has previously organized
capacity-building workshops for members of the Uzbekistan Cricket Federation
and several of its players, while also providing selected Uzbek fast bowlers
with training and development opportunities through ACB’s specialized Fast
Bowling Program.
Following the match, Afghanistan
T20I captain and opening batter Ibrahim Zadran visited the Uzbekistan dressing
room, praised the team on their efforts, and warmly welcomed them to
Afghanistan. He expressed his hope that the Uzbekistan team would continue to
tour Afghanistan in the future, allowing both countries to further strengthen
their cricketing ties and expand cooperation through the exchange of knowledge
and experience.