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A four-wicket haul from Mujeeb ur Rahman and half-centuries from Darwish Rasooli and Sediqullah Atal helped Afghanistan seal a series win over West Indies, beating the two-time world champions of the format by 39 runs in the second T20I at Dubai on Wednesday.
With this win, Afghanistan has taken an unassailable lead of 2-0 over the Windies. West Indies won the toss and elected to field first. Afghanistan was reduced to 37/2 in 4.5 overs. A 115-run stand between Atal (53 in 42 balls, with two fours and three sixes) and Rasooli (68 in 39 balls, with five fours and three sixes) brought the Afghans back into the game. Azmatullah Omarzai, the top-ranked T20I all-rounder, played a vital cameo of 26* in 13 balls, with a four and two sixes, taking Afghanistan to 189/4 in 20 overs. Matthew Forde (2/25 in four overs) was the pick of the bowlers for the West Indies. Shamar Joseph and Ramon Simmonds took a wicket each. In the run chase, WI was reduced to 38/3 in eight overs, with Mujeeb getting two wickets of Evin Lewis and Johnson Charles in a row. Skipper Brandon King (50 in 41 balls, with two fours and four sixes) and Shimron Hetmyer (46 in 17 balls, with a four and six sixes) put on a 68-run stand for the fourth wicket. The fifth wicket of Brandon became Mujeeb's hat-trick wicket, making him the third Afghanistan bowler after Rashid Khan and Karim Janat to take a T20I hat-trick. WI collapsed to 150 all out in 18.5 overs, with Mujeeb (4/21), Omarzai (2/20) and Fazalhaq Farooqi (2/28) being the pick of the bowlers. Mujeeb took home the 'Player of the Match' award. (ANI)
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