West Indies produced a dramatic finish in the third and final T20I against Afghanistan as Shamar Springer’s sensational hat-trick powered the Caribbean side to a 15-run victory in Dubai on January 22.
The win helped West Indies avoid a series whitewash, with Afghanistan clinching the three-match series 2–1.
Defending a target of 152, the West Indies found themselves under serious pressure during Afghanistan’s chase.
Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran laid a strong foundation, adding 72 runs in the first 10 overs.
Gurbaz, in particular, looked in complete control, bringing up a fluent half-century and keeping Afghanistan firmly in the hunt as the required rate remained manageable.
However, the momentum shifted dramatically in the 19th over when Springer produced a spell that turned the game on its head.
With Afghanistan needing 25 runs from the final two overs and six wickets in hand, Springer struck with the very first delivery, removing Gurbaz, who had scored a crucial 71.
What followed stunned the crowd as Rashid Khan was caught off the next ball, before a pinpoint yorker dismissed Shahidullah, completing a memorable hat-trick.
Springer finished with outstanding figures of 4 for 20 from his four overs, conceding just five runs in the penultimate over.
His efforts made him only the third West Indies bowler to claim a men’s T20I hat-trick, after Jason Holder and Romario Shepherd.
The all-rounder also contributed with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 16 off nine balls to push West Indies to a competitive total.
Earlier in the match, West Indies struggled to build momentum after being put in to bat. Wickets fell at regular intervals, leaving the side at 103 for five in the 16th over.
Captain Brandon King anchored the innings with a composed 47 off 35 balls, while late contributions from Matthew Forde and Springer helped the team reach 151 for eight.
Afghanistan’s middle order failed to capitalise on the strong start, managing just 43 runs while losing four wickets between overs 11 and 17. Despite remaining in contention heading into the final overs, Springer’s brilliance proved decisive.
The match also marked the second hat-trick of the series, following Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s feat in the previous game, making it a rare instance of multiple hat-tricks in a men’s T20I series between Full Member nations.
West Indies will next face South Africa in a three-match T20I series starting January 29, while Afghanistan turn their attention to the T20 World Cup, beginning its campaign against New Zealand on February 8.
