Canada might be a great team in NHL hockey or the Winter Olympics, but it still has a way to go to become a force in cricket. The 2026 T20 World Cup is now over for both Afghanistan and Canada, after Afghanistan defeated Canada.
Canada won the coin toss and decided to field first. That would be the beginning of their undoing, as Afghanistan stormed out with 200 runs. Canada would mount a comeback, but it was too little, too late, and they fell short by 82 runs.
There is only one match remaining in group play for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Australia will play Oman in a match that is a matter of pride rather than standings.
Following Afghanistan’s victory over Canada, Ibrahim Zadran was named the Player of the Match.
Ibrahim Zadran Breaks AFG Record
To say that Zadran had a monstrous game to end the group match portion of the T20 World Cup would be a massive understatement.
Zadran recorded 95 runs off 56 balls, breaking the record for the highest score ever achieved in a T20 World Cup match for Afghanistan. The previous record was held by his teammate Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who scored 84 runs off 42 balls eight days earlier against South Africa.
Additionally, Zadran recorded seven 4s and five 6s. Once he entered the match, he remained in the game until the end of Afghanistan’s 20 overs.
Afghanistan’s Mohammed Nabi Broke Wicket Record
GettyMohammad Nabi set a bowler record against Canada
Not to be outdone by his teammate, Mohammed Nabi put in an impressive bowling performance against Canada.
Nabi collected four wickets in four overs while only allowing seven runs. This put him in the record books.
According to ESPNcricinfo, Nabi is now the oldest player to take four wickets in an ICC World Cup (across ODI and T20 formats). Nabi is 41 years and 49 days old.
Nabi finished the group match stage with the 17th-best bowling economy (6.43).
Afghanistan & Canada Walk Away Empty Handed
Despite finding their legs at the end of the tournament, Afghanistan faultering at the beginning cost them a Super 8 berth.
Afghanistan lost a nail-biter in their opening match against New Zealand. They lost by a hair, as evidenced by the final score of 183/5 to 182/6 in New Zealand’s favor.
Then, they lost against South Africa, in a match that required two extra overs to reach a result.
Afghanistan had another nail-biter against the United Arab Emirates. This time, they came out on the positive end of it, winning by five wickets with a 162/5 to 160/9 final score. While it’s good that they finished the tournament strong, they will need to put in a better overall performance next year to prevent the same result.
Team Canada Struggled to Win
Canada will walk away from the 2026 T20 World Cup without a single victory. They had two close matches against New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates, but failed to win either.
Both Afghanistan and South Africa recorded at least 200 runs against them. That will be an area of focus for the 2027 version of this team.
However, the future is bright with the emergence of Yuvraj Samra, who recorded 110 runs in their loss to New Zealand.
Afghanistan vs Canada Reaction: Zadran Sets New Record